Narrative:

I was the first officer on a flight from stl. It was approximately 20 mins prior to departure when the captain walked onto the aircraft, put the paperwork down, said 'hi,' turned and went to speak to the flight attendants. I was busy with the final setup for the departure. He returned to the cockpit. I noticed he looked unkempt. He sat down, loaded the flight plan in the FMS and called for the checklist. Once the checklist was complete, the #1 flight attendant called me to the back. She told me she thought he smelled like alcohol. I told her I would take care of it. I shut the door and confronted him by asking him if he had been drinking. He said he had not. I asked him again, and he said he hadn't and that he did not drink. It was then that I noticed what I thought was the smell of alcohol as well. He said it was a new cologne he was wearing and that he smoked. He then released the brakes and began the push. The #1 flight attendant immediately called and asked to come up, having heard our conversation through the door. She told me he, the captain, had told her a different story. They began to converse for a min. I said 'the flight attendants are uncomfortable, and so am I' and that he should depart the aircraft and get tested. He graciously complied. We pulled back to the gate, and he left to go talk to the chief pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO DEALS WITH A CAPT WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WHEN HE ARRIVED AT WORK.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A FLT FROM STL. IT WAS APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP WHEN THE CAPT WALKED ONTO THE ACFT, PUT THE PAPERWORK DOWN, SAID 'HI,' TURNED AND WENT TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I WAS BUSY WITH THE FINAL SETUP FOR THE DEP. HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I NOTICED HE LOOKED UNKEMPT. HE SAT DOWN, LOADED THE FLT PLAN IN THE FMS AND CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. ONCE THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME TO THE BACK. SHE TOLD ME SHE THOUGHT HE SMELLED LIKE ALCOHOL. I TOLD HER I WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I SHUT THE DOOR AND CONFRONTED HIM BY ASKING HIM IF HE HAD BEEN DRINKING. HE SAID HE HAD NOT. I ASKED HIM AGAIN, AND HE SAID HE HADN'T AND THAT HE DID NOT DRINK. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL AS WELL. HE SAID IT WAS A NEW COLOGNE HE WAS WEARING AND THAT HE SMOKED. HE THEN RELEASED THE BRAKES AND BEGAN THE PUSH. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND ASKED TO COME UP, HAVING HEARD OUR CONVERSATION THROUGH THE DOOR. SHE TOLD ME HE, THE CAPT, HAD TOLD HER A DIFFERENT STORY. THEY BEGAN TO CONVERSE FOR A MIN. I SAID 'THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, AND SO AM I' AND THAT HE SHOULD DEPART THE ACFT AND GET TESTED. HE GRACIOUSLY COMPLIED. WE PULLED BACK TO THE GATE, AND HE LEFT TO GO TALK TO THE CHIEF PLT.

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.