A pilot who was caught flying a United Express plane under the influence of alcohol was recently sentenced to 6 months in prison.

The 33-year old pilot was operating a plane with another pilot on a flight from Austin, Texas to Denver, Colorado in December 2009 when the other pilot smelled alcohol in the cockpit.

The flight landed safely at Denver International Airport, but the other pilot became increasingly suspicious that his co-pilot had been drinking.  Investigations revealed that the pilot had been at a bar and purchased alcohol from a gas station before the flight.  Blood-alcohol tests revealed the pilot had a blood-alcohol concentration of .084 percent.

A news release concerning the pilot stated, “The FAA prohibits an individual from acting as a crew member of a civil aircraft while impaired by alcohol, with a blood alcohol content of .04 percent, or within eight hours after the consumption of any alcohol beverage.”

Contact the Denver airplane accident attorneys of Hull & Zimmerman, P.C. at 866-385-3505 today, if you or someone you love has been injured in a plane accident caused by another party’s negligence.