An Air Japan flight from Dallas to Tokyo was grounded last Wednesday when it was discovered that the 49-year-old captain attended a late-hours drunken party at his hotel the night before takeoff.
Airline officials announced the flight was canceled to determine the physical and mental health of the pilot after police questioned him at the raucous party. The 157 passengers scheduled to embark to Japan were moved to other flights.
The unidentified airman reportedly ate dinner with other crew members in Dallas at roughly 6 p.m. This was allegedly followed by drinking in the hotel lounge and then in his room.
At around 2:00 a.m. a hotel employee asked the gathering to lower their volume. This was soon followed by a call to the police over worries about the intoxication level and behavior of the pilot.
According to the Mainchi, he was described as being disruptive. The Japanese Daily News reported that the pilot was questioned and issued a warning.
Air Japan flight from Dallas to Tokyo is canceled because pilot was 'too drunk to fly' https://t.co/fwvumYUXzE pic.twitter.com/d9fY81Kuuq
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 29, 2024
Air Japan officials determined through an assessment that the unnamed pilot was unable to fly. This embarrassing incident is the latest in a stream of disreputable events plaguing the industry.
It was just Friday when a Boeing plane had to make an emergency landing in New York after an emergency slide fell from the airplane. The Delta flight was destined for Los Angeles before being diverted to JFK Airport after the mishap.
The disengagement of the emergency slide set off an alarm on board.
Another disturbing incident recently unfolded when another Boeing plane had to land when it began spewing hydraulic fluid from the area surrounding the landing gear.
Then there was the infamous Alaska Airlines flight in January that experienced a door plug panel blowing off the aircraft in midflight. Terrified passengers held on as the plane made an emergency landing.
