Courts Uphold Drunk Pilots' Conviction | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.21.25

Airborne-Unlimited-07.22.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.23.25

Airborne-Unlimited-07.24.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.25.25

Thu, Jul 13, 2006

Courts Uphold Drunk Pilots' Conviction

'Not In Control' Excuse Doesn't Wash

Thomas Cloyd and Christopher Hughes aren't going home anytime soon. The two former America West pilots gained worldwide notoriety after they were yanked off a plane headed from Miami to Phoenix four years ago, because a baggage screener smelled booze on their breath.

Police were called in... the two were arrested... and even hours later... their blood alcohol levels were still far above the .08 percent legal limit for driving a car.

Last year, Cloyd was sentenced to five years in prison. Hughes got two-and-a-half years.

As Aero-News reported in 2002, their aircraft was being towed from the terminal in preparation for take-off when they were arrested. Both men argued they were at no time in control of the Airbus A319, so they really couldn't be charged with operating an aircraft while under the influence.

That didn't wash with the court of original jurisdiction... and Wednesday, it failed to pass muster with the appeals court as well.

FMI: www.usairways.com (nee America West)

Advertisement

More News

Airborne 07.21.25: Nighthawk!, Hartzell Expands, Deltahawk 350HP!

Also: New Lakeland Fly-in!, Gleim's DPE, MOSAIC! Nearly three-quarters of a century in the making, EAA is excited about the future… especially with the potential of a MOSAIC>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.27.25): Estimated (EST)

Estimated (EST) -When used in NOTAMs “EST” is a contraction that is used by the issuing authority only when the condition is expected to return to service prior to the >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.27.25)

Aero Linx: Regional Airline Association (RAA) Regional airlines provide critical links connecting communities throughout North America to the national and international air transpo>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Luce Buttercup

The Airplane Broke Up In Flight And Descended To The Ground. The Debris Path Extended For About 1,435 Ft. Analysis: The pilot, who was the owner and builder of the experimental, am>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: 'That's All Brother'-Restoring a True Piece of Military History

From 2015 (YouTube version): History Comes Alive Thanks to A Magnificent CAF Effort The story of the Douglas C-47 named, “That’s all Brother,” is fascinating from>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC