JetBlue pilot removed from plane allegedly blew twice the legal limit on breathalyzer
A JetBlue pilot blew twice the legal limit on a breathalyzer test after he was removed from a plane in Buffalo on Wednesday morning, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority confirmed to CBS News in a statement. James Clifton, 52, was arrested and could face federal charges, the transportation authority said.
Clifton was passing through airport security at the Buffalo Airport when a TSA agent noticed he “may have been impaired,” the statement said. The agent contacted airport police, who removed him from the cockpit of the Fort Lauderdale-bound flight. He then blew 0.17 on a breathalyzer test, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, authorities said.
The Orlando, Florida, man was taken into custody by airport police, the statement said.
JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.