First officer and cabin attendant smell alcohol on captain's breath during early morning departure.

Attributes
ACN	541144
Time
Date	200202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 41
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	541144
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On mar/xa/02, I arrived at my base for an XA00 show. The captain was not there yet, so I went out to find the plane. I found it and preflted it. They swapped planes and my captain waved me over to another. I did another walkaround and then finally made it into the cockpit. I rushed through my before flight duties quickly to avoid being late. The captain flitted about, not getting into the cockpit until the last min. He looked ragged and had very bad breath. I asked him if he was ok, and he mumbled about a bad night to sleep. He was eating mints like crazy and smelled real bad. After we got out on time and the cockpit was closed I began to suspect he might have booze on his breath. I asked in a diplomatic way, and he denied drinking. I thought it must be my imagination. Who would ever do that? After that day finished, my flight attendant and I compared notes, and decided that it was booze we smelled. I contacted the union pro standards and so far that is as far as it has gone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO AND CABIN ATTENDANT SMELL ALCOHOL ON CAPT'S BREATH DURING EARLY MORNING DEP.

Narrative: ON MAR/XA/02, I ARRIVED AT MY BASE FOR AN XA00 SHOW. THE CAPT WAS NOT THERE YET, SO I WENT OUT TO FIND THE PLANE. I FOUND IT AND PREFLTED IT. THEY SWAPPED PLANES AND MY CAPT WAVED ME OVER TO ANOTHER. I DID ANOTHER WALKAROUND AND THEN FINALLY MADE IT INTO THE COCKPIT. I RUSHED THROUGH MY BEFORE FLT DUTIES QUICKLY TO AVOID BEING LATE. THE CAPT FLITTED ABOUT, NOT GETTING INTO THE COCKPIT UNTIL THE LAST MIN. HE LOOKED RAGGED AND HAD VERY BAD BREATH. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OK, AND HE MUMBLED ABOUT A BAD NIGHT TO SLEEP. HE WAS EATING MINTS LIKE CRAZY AND SMELLED REAL BAD. AFTER WE GOT OUT ON TIME AND THE COCKPIT WAS CLOSED I BEGAN TO SUSPECT HE MIGHT HAVE BOOZE ON HIS BREATH. I ASKED IN A DIPLOMATIC WAY, AND HE DENIED DRINKING. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE MY IMAGINATION. WHO WOULD EVER DO THAT? AFTER THAT DAY FINISHED, MY FLT ATTENDANT AND I COMPARED NOTES, AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS BOOZE WE SMELLED. I CONTACTED THE UNION PRO STANDARDS AND SO FAR THAT IS AS FAR AS IT HAS GONE.

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.