An airport official had sounded the alert after finding the pilot "reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily". PHOTO: AFP
BERLIN: The co-pilot of a Portuguese airline was detained in Stuttgart after being found drunk in the cockpit just before take off, German police and prosecutors said Saturday.
German police entered the cockpit and found the 40-year-old in a "highly intoxicated condition" on Friday evening, a statement said.
Aircraft crashes in western Germany, two dead
An airport official had sounded the alert after finding the pilot "reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily," it said.
Stuttgart prosecutors immediately suspended the co-pilot's flying licence and fixed a $12,000 bail.
49 dead in Nepal's worst plane crash in decades
Portugalia cancelled a flight from Stuttgart to Lisbon on Friday night with 106 passengers.
TAP said it would "open an enquiry and take necessary measures" and apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ