Passengers on a charter plane bound from northern Michigan to the Boston area got an unpleasant surprise when they learned their co-pilot had been drunk out of his mind. Fortunately, thanks to the captain, a potential tragedy was averted, and the co-pilot is now facing criminal charges.
Manny Ramirez (no relation to the retired baseball star) was piloting a Talon Air redeye charter plane from Traverse City, Michigan to Bedford, Massachusetts. Just before he was due to take off from Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Ramirez radioed his dispatchers in Farmingdale, New York on Long Island with alarming news. Ramirez had noticed that his co-pilot was “acting a little odd” while doing pre-flight checks, and didn’t think he was in any condition to fly.
Talon Air dispatchers radioed Cherry Capital air traffic controllers, who in turn grounded the charter plane and called Traverse City police. When police arrived, they found the co-pilot, Sean Fitzgerald, in the cockpit wearing his headphones while going through the checklist. However, according to a police report, he had “blood-shot, watery eyes,” was slurring his speech, and smelled of alcohol.
Fitzgerald flunked a field sobriety test, and a breath test revealed that he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.301. Not only is this more than four times the legal limit for driving a car in Michigan (though he didn’t drive to the airport), but it is more than 10 times the legal limit for flying a plane in the state. At these levels, a person is usually in a stupor and frequently goes in and out of consciousness. It is also a few points under the threshold for an alcohol-induced coma.
Traverse City police captain Kevin Dunklow told WWTV in Cadillac that when he learned how much alcohol was in Fitzgerald’s system, he was stunned. Watch here (via The Associated Press).
In a colossal understatement, Dunklow said that Fitzgerald had “a very high alcohol level.” To his knowledge, it’s the first time he’s arrested a pilot for flying while drunk in his 15-year law enforcement career.
Fitzgerald was taken to Munson Medical Center for a blood test. On Friday, he was formally arraigned on charges of being an aircraft crew member with a blood alcohol content of 0.02 or more. Incredibly, this is only a misdemeanor. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 93 days in jail and/or a minimum $100 fine. He also faces the near-certainty of being grounded for a long time by the FAA.
Frankly, it’s outrageous that putting passengers in this kind of danger is only a misdemeanor. This guy put Ramirez and the passengers on that charter plane in astronomical danger. By all rights, flying while drunk should be a felony at the state level, as is the case at the federal level. I also have to wonder how someone didn’t stop Fitzgerald at the gate. Fortunately, though, Fitzgerald could potentially face federal charges that could carry up to 15 years in prison. Hopefully, Patrick Miles, the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, is on the case.
Talon Air not only fired Fitzgerald, but applauded Ramirez for his “immediate action.” Dunklow also praised Fitzgerald for “standing up for what is right” and protecting the safety of both his passengers and his co-pilot. Someone needs to get Ramirez a medal. He averted what could have been a real disaster. By any definition, he’s a hero.
