Two Pilots Tested Well Above Alcohol Limit Before Flight from Australia

A Japan Airlines (JAL) flight from Melbourne to Tokyo on December 1 was delayed due to two pilots allegedly being drunk. The following internal investigation, on December 3, confirmed that Captains A and B had violated the carrier’s alcohol regulations.

Flight JL774 was expected to depart from Melbourne Airport (MEL) at 7:20 am on December 1. Captain A, a 59-year-old with 15,632 flight hours, conducted a self-administered breath test before leaving the hotel and found that the result was beyond company limits. Captain B, a 56-year-old with 13,310 flight hours, did the same test and got the same result.

While Captain A chose to request a shift delay for “illness”, Captain B continued to the airport. Captain B was re-tested after arriving at the airport and did not receive a satisfactory level until 8:15 am. Captain A, on the other hand, re-tested at the hotel and was able to report for duty at 6:00 am.

Flight JL744 remained on the ground at MEL until 10:31 am when it eventually departed for Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT). The takeoff was ultimately 3 hours and 11 minutes behind schedule. The pilots were able to make up some time in the air but still landed 2 hours and 42 minutes late.

103 passengers and 11 crew members, including two captains, one first officer, and eight flight attendants, were on the flight. It was taken on a Boeing 787-8 jet registered as JA840J.

Two days after the flight, Japan Airlines investigators were able to confirm that both Captains were in violation of company policy. They noted that, between Captains A and B, two glasses of sparkling wine and two full bottles of wine were consumed between 2 and 4 pm the day before the related flight.

Japan Airlines requires pilots to have a remaining alcohol concentration equal to that of no more than four drinks 12 hours before their shift. Pilots are immediately suspended if their test reads above 0.00 milligrams per liter.

“We recognize the severity of this situation, especially considering our previous warning,” a carrier representative stated. “We are conducting comprehensive interviews with the involved crew members to prevent future occurrences.”

FMI: www.jal.co.jp/ar/en/