An allegedly intoxicated female Delta pilot was arrested after failing a random breath test as she prepared to take off, according to reports.
The pilot, who is U.S.-based, was taken into custody at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden, according to Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet. She was about to fly a transatlantic non-stop flight to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
Local police said she was hauled off the plane and arrested “on suspicion of drunkenness” at around 9.15 a.m. local time Tuesday. The nine-hour flight was due to land in New York at around 1 p.m. Eastern time.
Delta Air Lines claimed in a statement that “this is not a case of intoxication.”
“Delta can confirm authorities have released the pilot and we are told this is not a case of intoxication,” the airline told the Daily Beast. “We continue to work with authorities to review what occurred.”
“Yesterday’s flight from Stockholm to New-York JFK was cancelled and we apologize to customers for that experience. We are taking care of them and getting them to their destinations as soon as possible.”
Swedish Police had a “different opinion,” telling the Daily Beast that the suspicion of drunkenness remains, as the investigation is still ongoing.
A spokesperson said they had spoken to the officer in charge of the investigation on Wednesday. They were told that the pilot was taken for “further testing” and, because they aren’t a Swedish citizen, was released.
“When the investigation measures were taken, the pilot was released, but the suspicion remains and the investigation continues,” they said.
Asked about Delta’s statement, the spokesperson added: “That’s not what the officer I talked to said. Then, we have different opinions on this matter.”
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jenny Karlsson confirmed that the pilot “is still a suspect.”
“A Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested on July 22, on probable cause suspected of drunken driving at Arlanda Airport. After interviewing the suspect and other people who made observations in connection with the incident, the arrest was lifted on July 23 at 00:58 by a duty prosecutor,” she explained.
“However, the pilot is still a suspect and an investigation is ongoing. No other information can be provided at this time due to the confidentiality of the investigation in the case.”
Flight 205 was scrapped because of the incident, and the company might have to fork out $705 in cash compensation to every passenger on board the 98-seat Boeing 767-300.
If the flight was fully booked, this would mean a bill of $69,000. In total, the failure to launch will cost Delta almost $140,000, according to Simple Flying.
If convicted, the pilot faces losing her flying license and, under Swedish law, could also face up to two years in prison, depending on her blood alcohol level at the time of flying, according to The Independent. Police, however, said it was not “significantly high.”
The Federal Aviation Administration’s legal limit for pilots is 0.04 percent blood alcohol content, which is half the legal limit for drivers in most U.S. states.
The FAA recommends 12 to 24 hours between a pilot’s last drink and the flight and mandates a “Bottle to Throttle” rule that they must wait at least eight hours between consuming alcohol and operating an aircraft.
