An American Airlines flight attendant allegedly arrived for work at London Heathrow in December 2018 with a blood alcohol content level that was four times over the legal limit.
Cynthia Struble pleaded not guilty to the offense at a court hearing last month after being hit with a $1,169 fine.
On December 28, Struble was passing through bag check for a 9:30 a.m. flight from London to Dallas when security officer Angela Klaire smelled a strong scent of alcohol on the flight attendant. Klaire asked Struble to sit while she contacted her manager, but she ignored Klaire's orders and headed to the gate.
Struble was stopped by another officer and taken to the police station for a blood alcohol test that resulted in 93 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. The legal limit for flight crews in the U.K. is 20, putting her four times over the limit.
The 64-year-old woman's lawyer, David Sonn argued that since Struble didn't attempt to perform any of her flight attendant duties, but only tried to enter the plane's gate, she shouldn't be penalized.
American Airlines gave a statement to Fox News: "At American Airlines, safety is our highest priority. American is aware of an incident involving a member of its crew at London Heathrow in December 2018. We continue to cooperate with local law enforcement and further questions should be referred to them."
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