JetBlue Pilot, Suspected of Being Drunk, Removed From Plane

A JetBlue pilot was removed from the cockpit of a flight by police at Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York on Wednesday after registering a blood-alcohol level of 0.17%, more than four times the Federal Aviation Administration's limit of 0.04%. A Transportation Security Administration officer noticed the pilot, James Clifton, was acting drunk when passing through airport security. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police administered a breathalyzer test. He was taken into custody before being released to JetBlue security personnel. The flight, from Buffalo to Fort Lauderdale, was delayed for more than four hours. The FAA prohibits pilots from consuming alcohol while on duty or within eight hours of performing flight duties. The FAA is investigating. Clifton, 52, is from of Orlando, Fla.


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