Narrative:

Alleged alcohol consumption by first officer. Before the flight in question I must first mention that I observed and spoke to the first officer for a short period the night before in the dining room of the hotel that we were staying at, and I did not notice any alcoholic beverages in his presence, nor did I suspect that he had any! Also prior to the flight in question, we flew a leg from cle to ord. On the same day, the first officer was alert, neat and through his performance on the inbound flight, did not cause me to become suspicious. I also did not detect any alcohol odor from the first officer when questioned by an FAA safety inspector. Like myself, the captain had no reason to believe that the first officer had consumed any alcohol within a 12 hour period. Therefore, the captain allowed the first officer to fly the leg to bos. Had I noticed even the slightest problem with the first officer I would have made it known to the captain, but I did not suspect the first officer of any wrongdoing. The FAA safety inspector questioned the first officer after we blocked in at bos, and based on that he and only he detected alcohol on the first officer's breath and that the first officer answered 'yes,' that he had been in an alcohol rehabilitation program, the aci removed the first officer from the flight. Which brings me to a very questionable decision on the part of the FAA safety inspector. If he was so sure that he perceived to detect alcohol on the first officer's breath in chicago, not once did he bring it to either my attention or the captain's, from the start to the end of the flight in bos where the first officer made the landing with braking action that was fair to poor. My suggestion is that if anyone suspected anyone of consuming any amount of alcohol within 12 hours before a flight, that it should be brought to the attention of the other crew members so it may be resolved before any phase of flight is underway, before jeopardizing property or endanger passenger lives. Callback was attempted to elicit additional information; however, the single # provided by the reporter was disconnected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI, FEELING THAT THE FO ON THE ACR FLT UPON WHICH THE ACI WAS RIDING IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, REMOVES THE FO FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE A CONTINUATION OF THE FLT UPON ITS ARR IN BOS.

Narrative: ALLEGED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION BY F/O. BEFORE THE FLT IN QUESTION I MUST FIRST MENTION THAT I OBSERVED AND SPOKE TO THE F/O FOR A SHORT PERIOD THE NIGHT BEFORE IN THE DINING ROOM OF THE HOTEL THAT WE WERE STAYING AT, AND I DID NOT NOTICE ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN HIS PRESENCE, NOR DID I SUSPECT THAT HE HAD ANY! ALSO PRIOR TO THE FLT IN QUESTION, WE FLEW A LEG FROM CLE TO ORD. ON THE SAME DAY, THE F/O WAS ALERT, NEAT AND THROUGH HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE INBND FLT, DID NOT CAUSE ME TO BECOME SUSPICIOUS. I ALSO DID NOT DETECT ANY ALCOHOL ODOR FROM THE F/O WHEN QUESTIONED BY AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR. LIKE MYSELF, THE CAPT HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE F/O HAD CONSUMED ANY ALCOHOL WITHIN A 12 HR PERIOD. THEREFORE, THE CAPT ALLOWED THE F/O TO FLY THE LEG TO BOS. HAD I NOTICED EVEN THE SLIGHTEST PROB WITH THE F/O I WOULD HAVE MADE IT KNOWN TO THE CAPT, BUT I DID NOT SUSPECT THE F/O OF ANY WRONGDOING. THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR QUESTIONED THE F/O AFTER WE BLOCKED IN AT BOS, AND BASED ON THAT HE AND ONLY HE DETECTED ALCOHOL ON THE F/O'S BREATH AND THAT THE F/O ANSWERED 'YES,' THAT HE HAD BEEN IN AN ALCOHOL REHABILITATION PROGRAM, THE ACI REMOVED THE F/O FROM THE FLT. WHICH BRINGS ME TO A VERY QUESTIONABLE DECISION ON THE PART OF THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR. IF HE WAS SO SURE THAT HE PERCEIVED TO DETECT ALCOHOL ON THE F/O'S BREATH IN CHICAGO, NOT ONCE DID HE BRING IT TO EITHER MY ATTN OR THE CAPT'S, FROM THE START TO THE END OF THE FLT IN BOS WHERE THE F/O MADE THE LNDG WITH BRAKING ACTION THAT WAS FAIR TO POOR. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT IF ANYONE SUSPECTED ANYONE OF CONSUMING ANY AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL WITHIN 12 HRS BEFORE A FLT, THAT IT SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS SO IT MAY BE RESOLVED BEFORE ANY PHASE OF FLT IS UNDERWAY, BEFORE JEOPARDIZING PROPERTY OR ENDANGER PAX LIVES. CALLBACK WAS ATTEMPTED TO ELICIT ADDITIONAL INFO; HOWEVER, THE SINGLE # PROVIDED BY THE RPTR WAS DISCONNECTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.