Had Reportedly Consumed Nearly An Entire Bottle Of Whiskey

A Pakistan International Airline pilot has been sentenced to nine months in prison following his arrest in the cockpit of an airplane preparing for a flight after reportedly consuming nearly an entire bottle of whisky.

The pilot is 55-year-old Capt. Irfan Faiz. He was found to be four times over the legal limit for operating an airplane during pre-flight checks at a British airport. The flight was scheduled to fly to Islamabad in Pakistan from Lees Bradford International Airport, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

Faiz said he had consumed "most" of a bottle of whiskey, but had stopped drinking 19 hours before the flight.

But he was also observed "reeling" through the airport and smelling strongly of alcohol.

Pakistani aviation regulations require 12 hours between "bottle and throttle" for commercial pilots, but there is no limit to the amount of alcohol that can be consumed prior to a flight.

Faiz's attorney told the court that his client was under a lot of stress. His wife had recently been robbed, and there had been kidnap threats against his two children.

The judge, however, said that allowing Faiz to operate the flight could have led to a catastrophe.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.caapakistan.com.pk