Passenger made a loud statement in cabin that captain must be drunk judging from his speech on publi...

Attributes
ACN	161361
Time
Date	199010
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	161361
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Passenger misunderstood arrival briefing from cockpit to be by captain. First officer actually made the briefing. First officer has heavy spanish accent. Passenger asked F/a if captain made briefing. F/a, not paying close attention to briefing, said she believed it was the captain. Passenger then repeatedly stated that the captain sounded drunk. Aircraft cabin was full--every seat filled. Possible that many other passenger overheard. Captain requested blood alcohol test before flying aircraft any further. Company made arrangements with company approved local lab for the proper test. Test returned negative--no alcohol detected. It is a shame the current atmosphere in aviation is such that crew members must constantly prove their innocence to protect their employment and careers, especially for such unfounded, unsubstantiated remarks by bystanders as this. This costs not only the effected crew member, but also his employer (i.e., lost revenue for the cancelled flight during the blood test), and also the passenger inconvenienced by the cancellation of the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENGER MADE A LOUD STATEMENT IN CABIN THAT CAPT MUST BE DRUNK JUDGING FROM HIS SPEECH ON PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM. CAPT CANCELLED FLT AT NEXT STOP AND INSISTED ON A BLOOD TEST.

Narrative: PAX MISUNDERSTOOD ARR BRIEFING FROM COCKPIT TO BE BY CAPT. F/O ACTUALLY MADE THE BRIEFING. F/O HAS HEAVY SPANISH ACCENT. PAX ASKED F/A IF CAPT MADE BRIEFING. F/A, NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO BRIEFING, SAID SHE BELIEVED IT WAS THE CAPT. PAX THEN REPEATEDLY STATED THAT THE CAPT SOUNDED DRUNK. ACFT CABIN WAS FULL--EVERY SEAT FILLED. POSSIBLE THAT MANY OTHER PAX OVERHEARD. CAPT REQUESTED BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST BEFORE FLYING ACFT ANY FURTHER. COMPANY MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH COMPANY APPROVED LCL LAB FOR THE PROPER TEST. TEST RETURNED NEGATIVE--NO ALCOHOL DETECTED. IT IS A SHAME THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE IN AVIATION IS SUCH THAT CREW MEMBERS MUST CONSTANTLY PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE TO PROTECT THEIR EMPLOYMENT AND CAREERS, ESPECIALLY FOR SUCH UNFOUNDED, UNSUBSTANTIATED REMARKS BY BYSTANDERS AS THIS. THIS COSTS NOT ONLY THE EFFECTED CREW MEMBER, BUT ALSO HIS EMPLOYER (I.E., LOST REVENUE FOR THE CANCELLED FLT DURING THE BLOOD TEST), AND ALSO THE PAX INCONVENIENCED BY THE CANCELLATION OF THE FLT.

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.

Passenger made a loud statement in cabin that captain must be drunk judging from his speech on public address system. Captain cancelled flight at next stop and insisted on a blood test.