A former Delta
Air Lines pilot has just been sentenced to 10 months in prison for showing
up to work intoxicated at Scotland’s Edinburgh Airport, resulting in the
cancellation of a transatlantic flight bound from the Scottish capital to New
York’s JFK airport.
Lawrence Russell
Jr., a 63-year-old American citizen, was slated to captain the flight on the
morning of June 16, 2023. However, a blood alcohol test revealed that he had
surpassed the legal limit. Court records indicate that Russell was found in
possession of two bottles of Jägermeister liqueur, one of which was only half
full, when he reported for duty that day.
According to CNN,
Delta was forced to abruptly cancel the Edinburgh-to-New York flight and the
airline terminated Russell’s employment as a result of the incident, as
confirmed in a court statement from the Judiciary of Scotland.
A spokesperson for
Delta responded to the court case, saying, “Delta was aware of this incident
and removed the pilot from service while conducting a thorough investigation in
coordination with Scottish authorities.” Delta also apologized to the
travelers impacted by the incident at the time it occurred.
During the court
sentencing, Sheriff (Judge) Alison Stirling addressed Russell directly, saying,
“Your bag was found to contain two bottles of Jägermeister, one of which was
open and was just under half full. Because you were wearing a pilot’s uniform,
police were contacted. Officers arrived shortly thereafter. You gave your
details to the police, and told them you were a captain with Delta Airlines.”
When questioned
about the open bottle, Russell admitted to having consumed alcohol the previous
night and must have thought he’d stopped far enough in advance of the morning’s
flight, but he failed a breath test upon reporting for duty the next day. He
was subsequently arrested, and a blood sample later confirmed that his alcohol
level indeed exceeded the legal limit.
The court noted
that, in Scotland, the legal blood alcohol limit for piloting a plane is 20
milligrams, whereas is it 50 milligrams for driving a car. In the United
States, the allowable limit for airplane pilots is 0.04 blood alcohol
concentration, and federal regulations strictly prohibit crewmembers from serving
aboard a civil flight within eight hours of alcohol consumption or while still under
its influence.
The court
indicated that Russell is a recovering alcoholic who, as it happens, completed
a treatment program following the aforementioned incident and currently remains
in remission. He did, however, have two prior instances of driving under the
influence on his U.S. criminal record, but has no previous convictions in the
U.K.
The former captain
entered a guilty plea on March 5, early in the proceedings, which reportedly was
influential in reducing his sentence from 15 months to 10 months. The court
statement also noted that Russell was “remorseful for the inconvenience”
caused to Delta and the passengers whose flight was canceled as a result of his
actions.
Pamela Rodgers,
Russell’s defense attorney, declined further comment on the sentencing due to
confidentiality constraints.
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