Pilot charged with DUI after being removed from plane at Savannah-Hilton Head airport
A Southwest Airlines pilot at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport was removed from an aircraft and charged with driving under the influence Wednesday morning, delaying the flight for hours.
The pilot, 52-year-old David Allsop, of Bedford, New Hampshire, faces a misdemeanor offense of DUI, according to Chatham County jail records. His bond was set at $3,500.
Originally scheduled for 6:05 a.m., the flight was going to Chicago Midway International Airport. Flight records say the plane took off at 10:56 a.m. after a nearly five-hour delay and landed shortly after noon.
Reached for comment, a Southwest spokesperson issued the following statement:
“We’re aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. The Employee has been removed from duty. Customers were accommodated on other flights, and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans. There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Employees and Customers.”
A spokesperson from Southwest did not immediately respond with additional details, including whether Allsop was “deadheading,” the practice of pilots taking a flight as passengers to reach the location of their next assignment.
A public LinkedIn profile says Allsop had been a pilot at Southwest Airlines since 2006. Prior to then, he spent nine years flying in squadrons for the U.S. Air Force, the profile says.
Federal regulations prohibit pilots from operating aircraft with a blood alcohol content of over 0.04, which is lower than the limit of 0.08 for motor vehicles. Violations could result in a pilot’s certification being revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Lori Lynah, director of marketing and air service development for the airport, said Wednesday afternoon that she did not have information on the arrest since the police report was not yet available.
Spokespeople for the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM.
