FURY AT 'DRUNK' VIRGIN PILOT Dec 22 2003
By Tom Newton Dunn and Stephen White
PASSENGERS spoke of their horror yesterday at the arrest of their allegedly drunk pilot minutes before take-off.
The 383 Virgin customers, many trying to get home for Christmas, finally arrived in London yesterday after a 27-hour delay.
Their Friday night Washington Dulles-to-Heathrow flight, was cancelled when a guard smelled alcohol on pilot Richard Harwell's breath, and he was arrested in the cockpit.
The 55-year-old American now faces a five-year jail sentence and a life-ban from the skies.
Furious passenger Martin Kind said yesterday: "It's attempted manslaughter as far as I am concerned. I can't figure out what the guy was thinking.
"I am just stunned he was apparently in such a bad way."
Project manager Mr Kind and wife Susan, 34, from Chelmsford, Essex, missed a family wedding because of the flight's cancellation.
He added: "It's disgraceful in this day and age that he should have been allowed to get that far.
"What happened to breath tests and other checks?"
Harwell's alleged condition was first spotted as he passed through customs, and police intercepted him on board. Passengers waiting in the departure lounge were told what had happened over an intercom.
Also on the flight was actress Victoria Pritchard, who plays Dr Charles in BBC1 hit Holby City.
She said: "They were completely honest with us and said, 'The captain has been found with alcohol in his blood. He's been removed from the aircraft by the police'.
"There was the most amazing moment of complete stunned silence amongst the passengers."
Brit Claudia Hunt, 29, of Atlanta, said: "He deserves to go to jail for a very long time. He could have killed 400 people up there.
"What would have happened if he nodded off at the controls in that state? It doesn't even bare thinking about. It's just frightening.
"I've also had to queue for a total of eight hours in various lines while Virgin sorted the whole mess out. It's been the flight from hell."
Barbara Davidson, of Forest Hill, South London, who was travelling with her 12-week-old son Peter, said: "I thought thank heavens he didn't fly us across the Atlantic. I was grateful the security people who stopped him did their jobs."
Harwell, who lives in a Ј350,000 home in Kirtlington, Oxon, with his wife Janet and their two children, is charged with operating a plane under the influence of a drug or alcohol. Still in police custody last night, he faces a US judge this afternoon for a bail hearing.
He has been with Virgin for 14 years and had an unblemished record, officials said.
The incident follows the resignation of two BA pilots last month accused of being drunk in charge of a plane in Oslo, Norway.
A Virgin spokesman said passengers have been given a free return ticket to Washington DC.
He added: "We have launched our own inquiry but will take our lead from the judicial process. Mr Harwell certainly won't be flying for us for the time being.
"Everyone is shocked. This is unprecedented. It's the first time it has happened in the 20 years we've been operating."
Ответить с цитированием
