A Southwest Airlines pilot was escorted from the cockpit by airport police at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia just before takeoff due to intoxication, officials confirmed.

David Allsop, 52, a New Hampshire resident, was arrested around 7 a.m. on January 15, according to the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with "operating a vehicle under the influence" shortly before Southwest Flight 3772 was scheduled to depart for Chicago. The flight was delayed by approximately four hours.

Sources told CBS News that airport police removed Allsop from the cockpit after staff reported he smelled of alcohol and exhibited signs of intoxication. According to police records, Allsop posted a $3,500 bond and was released pending trial. Authorities did not disclose his blood alcohol level or breathalyzer results.

"We are aware of an incident involving one of our employees on Flight 3772 this morning departing from Savannah," Southwest Airlines said in a statement. "This individual has been suspended from duty." The airline added that passengers on the flight were rebooked on alternate flights due to the delay.

While incidents of pilots being detained or suspended for excessive alcohol consumption are rare, they are not unprecedented. Last year, a Delta Airlines pilot was sentenced to 10 months in prison in Scotland for attempting to operate a flight while intoxicated.

In May 2024, Japan Airlines canceled a flight from Dallas to Tokyo after discovering that a pilot had consumed alcohol the night before. Although the pilot had not violated the airline's rule prohibiting alcohol consumption within 12 hours of a flight, the flight was canceled to assess the pilot's physical and mental fitness.

(According to CBS, Fox, NBC)