Pilot taken off plane in Norfolk after failing breathalyzer
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Posted 6:30PM on Thursday, December 26, 2002
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA - A Delta Airlines pilot was taken off a plane in Norfolk, Virginia early Thursday morning after failing a breathalyzer test for alcohol. <br>
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Airport officials say baggage screeners noticed the smell of alcohol on 42-year-old co-pilot Gary Schroeder's breath when he showed up for his six a.m. flight to Cincinnati. <br>
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The screeners contacted airport police, who administered the test after removing Schroeder from the plane. <br>
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The executive director of the Norfolk Airport Authority, Ken Scott, says Schroeder had a blood-alcohol level of .07, which is over the legal limit of .04 set by the Federal Aviation Administration. <br>
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Scott says Schroeder was cooperative with police, and willingly boarded another flight bound for Delta headquarters in Atlanta. He was charged with a Class one misdemeanor, but airline officials say he could also lose his license for breaking FAA rules. <br>
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Federal regulations prohibit pilots from drinking eight hours before a scheduled flight.