• 21
  • March
    2011

From DUI first offenses to felony DUIs, most of our discussions of drunk driving in the Denver area deal with matters that relate to our streets and highways. However, today's post will discuss drunk driving in the Denver area as it relates to an entirely new venue: the sky.

Specifically, one of the pilots on a past regional flight from Austin, Texas, to Denver, Colorado, was officially charged last week with unlawfully operating and directing the operation of a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol.

According to reports, a federal grand jury indictment for "flying while intoxicated" was handed down against Aaron C., a 32-year-old former pilot for Republic Airways, a smaller transport carrier that works with several major airline companies, including United Airlines.

Federal authorities - who thus far have declined to offer much detail on the incident - allege that in December 2009, Aaron C. was acting as co-pilot on Denver-bound United Express Flight 7687 and that "during the flight, the pilot had concerns."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver did indicate, however, that the plane was flown safely and that "passengers were never in danger."

(Interestingly, 12,000 random screenings of commercial airline pilots were conducted in accordance with federal drug and alcohol testing rules in 2009. 11 of the 12,000 pilots tested positive for alcohol consumption.)

Republic Airways has since come forward to announce that it was cooperating with federal officials and that Aaron C. was no longer with the company.

"Republic Airways has a zero-tolerance policy for violations of its restrictions on alcohol consumption, which are more stringent than federal provisions," said spokesman Carlo Bertolini.

Remember, mistakes happen. It is extremely important to speak with an experienced attorney whether you have been arrested for DUI first offense or felony DUI.

This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice. Names have been withheld to protect the identity of the accused.

Stay tuned for more from our Denver DUI/DWAI blog ...

Related Resources:

Airline co-pilot charged with flying drunk (MSNBC)