Chicago-bound flight delayed after pilot arrested in cockpit for DUI at Georgia airport

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Friday, January 17, 2025
Chicago-bound flight delayed after pilot arrested in cockpit for DUI
A Chicago-bound Southwest Airlines flight was delayed after a pilot was arrested and charged with DUI at the Savannah Hilton Head Airport in Georgia.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Midway Airport was delayed for multiple hours after a pilot was arrested and charged with DUI at an airport in Georgia.

Pilot David Paul Allsop was arrested Wednesday morning at Savannah Hilton Head Airport after allegedly failing a sobriety test before a flight to Chicago, police said.

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According to a police report, Allsop was removed from the cockpit early Wednesday after a TSA officer reported a crew member appearing intoxicated. Allsop, who admitted to drinking the night before, allegedly failed a sobriety test on the jet bridge.

The arrest happened with passengers already on board.

Allsop has been charged with driving under the influence, according to the arrest report.

The flight Allsop was supposed to be a pilot for was delayed from 6:05 a.m. to 10:56 a.m. while Southwest searched for a new pilot, officials said.

"We're aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah," Southwest Airlines said in a statement. "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."

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