Portuguese Pilot Detained in Germany After Found Drunk Just Before Takeoff

The incident took place in the Stuttgart airport on Friday evening when an airport employee noticed the pilot's unsteady gait and the smell of alcohol and informed the police.
Sputnik

Some 106 passengers were stranded in Stuttgart after the co-pilot of the Portugalia airline was detained in a state of alcoholic intoxication, Stuttgarter Nachrichten reported.

The 40-year old was found drunk in the cockpit just before takeoff, German law enforcement services said Saturday.

Following his arrest, Portugalia, a subsidiary of the national carrier TAP, canceled the flight from Stuttgart to Lisbon and all passengers will probably have to wait until Monday for a replacement flight.

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The incident occurred on Friday evening after an airport officer spotted the man "reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily" and informed air traffic control and the police.

The co-pilot's flying license was immediately suspended.

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