Southwest Airlines Pilot Arrested Moments Before Takeoff

A South West Airlines pilot was arrested at a Georgia airport on Wednesday shortly before takeoff for allegedly driving under the influence.

David Paul Allsop, 52, faces a DUI charge after being arrested at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

A plane passenger told the press police escorted Alssop off the plane.

Arrest records did not show what substance Allsop was under the influence at the time of his arrest.

Southwest Airlines pilot arrested for DUI at Georgia airport https://t.co/cvnIrJ3EqE

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) January 16, 2025

Check out what CNN reported:

A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested Wednesday at a Georgia airport just before takeoff and accused of driving under the influence, according to airline officials and authorities in Georgia.

A passenger told CNN affiliate WTOC on Wednesday he saw police escort the pilot off the plane.

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David Paul Allsop, 52, of Bedford, New Hampshire, faces a DUI charge following his arrest at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, according to records from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.

The records did not indicate the type of substance Allsop is accused of using. CNN has reached out to law enforcement officials for more information.

Allsop’s bail was set at $3,500 and has bonded out of jail, sheriff’s office records show. CNN has reached out to Allsop and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association for comment.

Southwest Airlines pilot arrested shortly before takeoff after he allegedly showed up to work intoxicated, police say.

New Hampshire resident David Allsop, 52, was arrested at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Chatham… pic.twitter.com/EQ0nT2Fb0T

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) January 16, 2025

Per People:

A Southwest Airlines flight was delayed on Wednesday, Jan. 15, after its pilot was reportedly arrested and charged with DUI before takeoff at a Georgia airport.

Southwest Airlines, in a statement provided to multiple outlets including NBC News and ABC affiliate WLS, confirmed that it was aware of a “situation” involving an employee on flight 3772 from Savannah’s Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. The employee had since been “removed from duty,” per the statement.

“Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans,” the statement, also shared with ABC affiliate WJCL, read. “There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Employees and Customers.”

According to flight records, flight 3772 — which was headed from Savannah to Chicago Midway International Airport on Jan. 15 — was delayed nearly five hours. It left Savannah at 10:56 a.m. local time and landed in Chicago at 12:08 local time.

Southwest Airlines Pilot Arrested, Charged with DUI Before Takeoff: Reports https://t.co/VEK9eCKhI0

— People (@people) January 16, 2025