A DRUNKEN Australian airline pilot who tried to fly a packed plane to Dubai when he was nearly seven times over the alcohol limit was jailed yesterday.
John Cronly-Dillon, 51, was sentenced to four months. The judge told him he had brought an unblemished 25-year career to a stupid and ignominious end.
Isleworth Crown Court in London heard that the Emirates pilot claimed he had observed the ban on pilots taking alcohol within 12 hours of a flight.
He was arrested after stumbling around during a routine search at Heathrow, making incoherent jokes about "not blowing up my plane".
Douglas Adams, prosecuting, said tests found 134 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitre of blood, compared with the allowed limit of 20 micrograms for a pilot. He was arrested minutes before the flight was due to leave, stranding hundreds of passengers.
Judge Usha Karu said his behaviour during the search had been extraordinary. While waiting for security staff he drank water and ate a packet of chewing gum.
"The courts take a very dim view of passengers who get drunk on an aircraft. It is much worse if it is the pilot, who has a high level of duty of care to those he would have been looking after."
Diana's death an accident, not murder -- leaked report
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 12:01pm (Mla time) 12/10/2006
LONDON -- A long-awaited report into Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash will confirm a French probe that it was an accident and refute theories of a plot by British intelligence, news leaks said Sunday.
The report by Lord John Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, has concluded that Diana died in a traffic accident after her driver lost control of the car while drunk at the wheel, the leaks said.
Fleeing paparazzi photographers, Diana, 36, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, 42, and their chauffeur Henri Paul, 41, were killed in a car crash in a Paris underpass in the early hours of August 31, 1997.
Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived.
A two-year investigation in France blamed Paul for losing control of the black Mercedes because he was driving too fast while high on drink and prescription drugs.
It was yesterday din yata when a closed van collided with a PUJ in QC area. The PUJ driver was drunk. IMO, most accidents I've known occur when a driver is drunk and still driving....so far I have 6 data points....3 friends of mine, 2 on my own and 1 for my father. He-he what a difficult way to learn our lesson well. So this Christmas, during the parties....just drink red wine or bubbly champagne....he-he...sa bahay na lang maglasing kung gusto.
FRIENDS Irene Missyona holds the hand of Laiza Marie Santos, who sustained a head injury after their car lost control and crashed into an electric post in Manila. The two, with another girl, were out on the town and admitted having drank. INQUIRER/RAFFY LERMA