Engineer found drunk on plane fined
29.08.07
An aircraft engineer who was found under the influence of alcohol in the cockpit of a plane whilst carrying out emergency repairs has been fined £400. He will now face an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority and could lose his licence to work.
Rajoo Loganathan, 57, was called in to fix an aircraft owned by Dutch carrier KLM as it prepared to fly from Aberdeen Airport to Amsterdam on 11 March this year. He was arrested after staff found him in the cockpit smelling strongly of alcohol. He was later found to be 2.5 times the legal alcohol limit.
Fiscal depute Ian Warburton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: 'The accused was carrying out maintenance on the aircraft and was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. When police found him, his eyes were glazed, his speech was slurred and he smelt strongly of alcohol.'
Mr. Loganathan's solicitor, Iain MacGregor, said that his client had been downing glasses of whisky to relieve back pain. The court heard that he had been working non-stop for 21 days and had started work at 04:00 that morning despite not finishing his shift the previous night until 23:30.
Mr. MacGregor said: 'As the sole engineer on duty, he had to work as and when required. He accepts there was a great underestimation of the amount of alcohol he consumed. He's not proud of himself or the embarrassment he has brought on himself and his family. This is the only work he has ever done but there is a very strong possibility that he will not work in this capacity again in the future.'
Mr. Loganathan, of Dyce, Aberdeenshire, admitted breaching the Railways and Transport Safety Act. He was caught with a breath reading of 93mg of alcohol, when the limit is 35mg. Sentencing him, Sheriff Kieran McLernan told him: 'It is very unfortunate indeed that after a record such as yours it should end in this way.'
The CAA said it would investigate the case. A spokesman said: 'If there was a safety issue concerning a worker on board a plane, then we would have the power to suspend, limit or revoke their licence.'
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