Delta pilot Gabriel Lyle Schroeder was arrested at around 11 a.m. Tuesday morning by airport police at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, minutes before he was scheduled to fly the 11:20 a.m. Flight 1728.
Though details on Schroeder’s level of impairment have yet to be released by authorities, the police report says Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and found he had an “alcoholic container” in his possession.
According to airport spokesman Patrick Hogan, Schroeder first drew suspicion when he departed the TSA line after noticing additional screening was being conducted. It’s suspected Schroeder may have finished his beverage prior to going through the security check, as liquids are not permitted through.
Hogan told reporters Tuesday that Schroeder was released approximately three hours after his arrest, and a toxicology report remains pending. Hogan also noted that Minnesota’s legal blood alcohol content limit for pilots is 0.04%.
"Delta's alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have no tolerance for violation," Delta spokeswoman Kate Modolo claimed in a statement to USA Today.
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits pilots from flying if they have consumed alcohol within eight hours of their flight.
Delta was able to find another pilot to assume Schroeder’s position, and Flight 1728 arrived in San Diego at 1:54 p.m, only 51 minutes after their intended arrival.
Earlier this year, a 62-year-old American Airlines pilot was arrested across the pond after Greater Manchester Police “received a report that an airline pilot may have been under the influence of alcohol.”
Unlike the Minneapolis flight Tuesday, that flight was canceled altogether and had to be rebooked.