Charged In Miami With Trying To Fly Drunk

Two pilots fired from America West after being accused of trying to fly while drunk gave themselves up Thursday, after they were indicted by a federal grand jury in Miami.

Captain Thomas Cloyd and First Officer Christopher Hughes were both freed on $100,000 bond after appearing before a US magistrate.

The grand jury charges against them were unsealed Wednesday. They're accused of being drunk when they sat down in the cockpit of a Miami-to-Phoenix flight July 1st, 2002. A security guard at Miami International suspected the two were drunk and called police. Cloyd, Hughes and 124 passengers were taxiing for take-off when Miami-Dade police ordered the plane back to the gate.

If convicted, both pilots face up to 15 years in prison and fines of $250,000 each.

The indictments were the latest battles in a war between the federal government and the state of Florida over which had jurisdiction in the case. Last summer, a federal judge threw out the state charges against Cloyd and Hughes, saying Florida had no standing in the matter. Florida appealed. The issue is now being decided.

FMI: www.americawest.com