Southwest Airlines pilot arrested for DUI at Georgia airport

A Southwest Airlines pilot at Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia was removed from his plane and arrested on DUI charges, officials said. The incident caused a significant flight delay.

The pilot, 52-year-old David Allsop, was taken to the Chatham County jail after being removed from his aircraft on Wednesday, according to officials. The flight, which was scheduled to fly to Chicago, experienced a five-hour delay following the incident.

Allsop has been charged with ‘driving under the influence’ and his bond was set at $3,500, according to jail records. Federal regulations state that a pilot’s certification could be revoked if they are found to have been operating an aircraft while under the influence.

“We’re aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah,” a Southwest spokesperson said. “The Employee has been removed from duty. Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans.”

The circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s arrest remain unclear.

In June 2023, a Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested on suspicion of consuming too much alcohol just before he was scheduled to fly from Scotland to New York. And in 2016, an intoxicated United Airlines pilot was arrested at Glasgow Airport for trying to board a flight to Newark, New Jersey.