- Pilot David Paul Allsop was arrested for intoxication before flying Southwest Flight 3772 in January 2025
- Bodycam footage shows Allsop struggling and failing a field sobriety test
- He admitted to drinking before the flight and later pleaded guilty to flying impaired by alcohol
A pilot named David Paul Allsop was arrested for being intoxicated before flying Southwest Flight 3772 from Savannah Hilton Head Airport to Chicago earlier this year, ABC Chicago reported. New police bodycam footage has revealed the exact moment when he was detained in the cockpit before taking off.
Allsop was removed from the cockpit after a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer reported a crew member appearing intoxicated. In the video, the pilot can be seen exiting the cabin door of Southwest Flight 3772 and been confronted by two officers.
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The police bodycam footage shows the 52-year-old struggling to walk in a straight line and failing a field sobriety test on January 15, 2025.
The police officer wearing the bodycam asked, "When was the last time you had a drink?"
"Last night," Allsop replied.
"About how many hours ago?"
"About, 10 hours ago," the pilot responded.
Allsop denied police's request for a field sobriety test, saying, "There's no need."
"Well, I can smell an odor consistent with an alcoholic beverage," the officer replied. The pilot then agreed to a field sobriety test, but failed eventually.
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As per reports, the pilot's license was suspended, and he was charged with driving under the influence and was barred from flying that day.
Although not specified in the arrest, US law prohibits pilots from flying with a blood alcohol level above 0.04. The flight departed with a four-hour delay after a replacement pilot was secured.
According to reports, Allsop was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to reporting for duty as a pilot while impaired by alcohol.
"We're aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah," Southwest Airlines said in a statement at the time. "The Employee has been removed from duty. Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans. There's nothing more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Employees and Customers."
In another incident, in 2023, a Delta Airlines pilot was found to be two-and-a-half times over the limit before flying across the Atlantic, highlighting the importance of strict airline regulations.
