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American Airlines Co-Pilot Suspected Of Being Drunk Detained At Detroit Metro Airport

ROMULUS (WWJ/AP) - Federal authorities say an American Airlines co-pilot has been detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after he was suspected of being drunk.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the co-pilot was held from a Saturday morning flight from Detroit to Philadelphia. He's suspected of having a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. Because of that, Flight-736 -- which was scheduled to take off just before 7 a.m. -- was canceled.

The pilot was detained at a security checkpoint after arriving for the flight at the airport in the Detroit suburb of Romulus.

"Police responded with a field Breathalyzer and the co-pilot was indeed over the legal limits," Airport Public Affairs Director Michael Conway told WWJ's Jason Scott. "They also took him to a local jurisdiction for a more sophisticated machine called the Data Master. On that machine, he also continued to be over the legal limit for a co-pilot. So American Airlines cancelled the fight and are reaccommodating those customers on other flights."

American Airlines spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said in a statement that "safety is our highest priority and we apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans."

Airline officials declined to discuss the co-pilot or his condition but say it's assisting local law enforcement agencies. Conway says the co-pilot is from Pennsylvania and was born in 1965.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

 

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