Veteran Pilot Arrested for DUI, Fired from Southwest Airlines

On January 2025, a veteran Southwest Airlines pilot, David Allsop, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. Shocking bodycam footage from the incident, which emerged last week, shows Allsop being pulled from the cockpit of his flight to Chicago just moments before takeoff.

According to the reports, TSA officers had notified the police that they suspected Allsop was intoxicated. When confronted, the 52-year-old pilot admitted to having "a few beers" the night before, around 10 hours prior to the scheduled flight. However, the officers claimed he reeked of alcohol, and Allsop failed two out of three sobriety tests conducted on the jet bridge.

Allsop initially refused to undergo a blood alcohol test, but ultimately complied with the officers' orders. He was then escorted out of the airport, cuffed, and driven away for further questioning. The incident has effectively ended Allsop's aviation career, as Southwest has since fired him, and the Federal Aviation Administration has revoked his pilot's license. Criminal charges against him are also pending.

Prior to this incident, Allsop had been a pilot with Southwest Airlines for over 19 years, having previously served in the US Air Force. The shocking revelation of his intoxication has sent shockwaves through the aviation industry, raising concerns about the importance of strict alcohol policies and the need for robust safety measures to protect passengers.