Pilot With Blood-Alcohol Level Four Times The Legal Limit Pulled From JetBlue Flight

A JetBlue pilot was removed from a plane’s cockpit just as the aircraft was about to depart from Buffalo, New York. The pilot had a blood-alcohol level that was four times more than the legal limit for pilots, a Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) spokesperson said, according to the Buffalo News.

James Clifton, 52, of Orlando, was passing through Buffalo Niagara International Airport security before boarding the aircraft Wednesday morning when Transportation Security Administration agents noticed that he seemed inebriated, the NFTA spokesperson reportedly said.

The NFTA police were alerted, and Clifton was removed from the Fort Lauderdale-bound plane before takeoff, which was scheduled at 6:15 a.m.

Clifton registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.17% when cops administered a breathalyzer test. The pilot was four times over the 0.04 legal limit for pilots and twice more than the 0.08 limit to drive a car.

The pilot denied drinking alcohol on the morning of his flight, the police said. However, he claimed he had 7 to 8 drinks the night before he was to fly the aircraft to Fort Lauderdale.

One of the pilot's coworkers, who was with him during dinner the night before, told cops that Clifton didn’t answer his phone Wednesday morning. The coworker also said Clifton was a no-show when a shuttle arrived at their hotel that morning to take them to the airport, according to the police report.

The statement said Clifton took an Uber to the airport, where TSA agents thought he “seemed off” before boarding the plane, according to a partially redacted police report obtained by the New York Post.

Helen Tederous, public affairs director for the NFTA, said Clifton was taken into custody after failing the breathalyzer test, according to ABC News.

Federal authorities were notified, and he was later released to JetBlue security, Tederous said. The pilot may face charges in connection with the incident.

Tederous said the passengers were aware of what was happening on the flight, which got delayed by about four hours.

"It was right there, all unfolding in front of them. That had to be very unsettling for sure,” Tederous said, according to the outlet.

JetBlue released a statement that said their “first priority” is the safety of their customers and crew members.

"We adhere to all DOT rules and requirements concerning alcohol at all times and have a very strict zero-tolerance internal alcohol policy," the statement said, according to the publication. "We are aware of the incident that occurred this morning in Buffalo and are cooperating fully with law enforcement. We are also conducting our own internal investigation. The crewmember involved has been removed from his duties."