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B727 aircraft prior to flight. Flight attendant smelled alcohol on captain's breath and complained to flight crew. Captain removed himself from the trip.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 372239 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 95 |
| ASRS Report | 372239 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time total : 7500 |
| ASRS Report | 372711 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The trip involved a deadhead to an airport 30 mins away, followed by a 12 hour layover. The next morning we flew back to the hub with a scheduled overwater out and back. I did not meet the captain until the preflight since he deadheaded on a different flight and took different transport from the hotel to the airport. I had not flown with this captain before. All operations were normal during the short flight which he elected to fly. We had a 1 hour 15 min layover and aircraft change at the hub. The captain went to the operations/crew room and arrived at the airplane 15 mins before push. He talked with flight attendants and then went back into the terminal to get his bags. While he was away, a flight attendant said that she thought that the captain smelled of alcohol and had been drinking, what did we (the second officer and I) think? We had no evidence of that but would observe him closely when he returned. We did and still did not see or smell any evidence of alcohol. As we continued preparations for flight, she was still uncomfortable and we communicated the situation to the captain and said it needed to be resolved before we continued. The captain removed himself from the trip and reported to the chief pilot. Today, 5 days later, I learned that he tested at a bat of .02 and .015 after he left the trip. Recommend that procedures be developed to resolve such sits more readily.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 ACFT PRIOR TO FLT. FLT ATTENDANT SMELLED ALCOHOL ON CAPT'S BREATH AND COMPLAINED TO FLC. CAPT REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE TRIP.
Narrative: THE TRIP INVOLVED A DEADHEAD TO AN ARPT 30 MINS AWAY, FOLLOWED BY A 12 HR LAYOVER. THE NEXT MORNING WE FLEW BACK TO THE HUB WITH A SCHEDULED OVERWATER OUT AND BACK. I DID NOT MEET THE CAPT UNTIL THE PREFLT SINCE HE DEADHEADED ON A DIFFERENT FLT AND TOOK DIFFERENT TRANSPORT FROM THE HOTEL TO THE ARPT. I HAD NOT FLOWN WITH THIS CAPT BEFORE. ALL OPS WERE NORMAL DURING THE SHORT FLT WHICH HE ELECTED TO FLY. WE HAD A 1 HR 15 MIN LAYOVER AND ACFT CHANGE AT THE HUB. THE CAPT WENT TO THE OPS/CREW ROOM AND ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE 15 MINS BEFORE PUSH. HE TALKED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEN WENT BACK INTO THE TERMINAL TO GET HIS BAGS. WHILE HE WAS AWAY, A FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT THE CAPT SMELLED OF ALCOHOL AND HAD BEEN DRINKING, WHAT DID WE (THE SECOND OFFICER AND I) THINK? WE HAD NO EVIDENCE OF THAT BUT WOULD OBSERVE HIM CLOSELY WHEN HE RETURNED. WE DID AND STILL DID NOT SEE OR SMELL ANY EVIDENCE OF ALCOHOL. AS WE CONTINUED PREPARATIONS FOR FLT, SHE WAS STILL UNCOMFORTABLE AND WE COMMUNICATED THE SIT TO THE CAPT AND SAID IT NEEDED TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE WE CONTINUED. THE CAPT REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE TRIP AND RPTED TO THE CHIEF PLT. TODAY, 5 DAYS LATER, I LEARNED THAT HE TESTED AT A BAT OF .02 AND .015 AFTER HE LEFT THE TRIP. RECOMMEND THAT PROCS BE DEVELOPED TO RESOLVE SUCH SITS MORE READILY.
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.