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Pilot Allegedly Flew Drunk, Blamed High Blood-Alcohol Level on Gum

 

shutterstock, pilot, drunkA JetBlue pilot was arrested Wednesday for allegedly flying drunk. Dennis Murphy Jr. touched down at Kennedy Airport in New York City on April 21, 2015. There, he was chosen for a random alcohol test, The Associated Press reports.

Murphy allegedly registered a blood-alcohol level of .111. A second test, administered 15 minutes later, revealed .091. Federal law prohibits anyone from operating an aircraft if they have a .04 blood-alcohol level or higher. Murphy told the test administrator that his chewing gum caused the high results, CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave reports.

His co-pilot reportedly told investigators he saw Murphy “drinking an unknown beverage from a cup before and during” that flight and a previous one that same day, according to a federal complaint obtained by The AP.

In a statement, JetBlue said Murphy no longer works for them.

Murphy is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday in a Brooklyn federal court. He faces federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated.

[image via Ambrozinio / Shutterstock]

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