SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former Alaska Airlines pilot who flew a passenger plane while drunk has been sentenced in California to a year and a day in federal prison.
David Hans Arntson of Newport Beach was also fined $10,000 on Wednesday.
In 2014, Arntson flew an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Portland, Oregon, and then took a second plane from Portland to John Wayne Airport in Southern California.
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After landing there, he underwent random testing that found his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit. Arntson's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for both flights was 0.134 percent and 0.142 percent, respectively.
The BAC limit to legally drive a car is 0.08 percent in both California and Oregon. Federal laws mandate a commercial airline pilot is considered "under the influence of alcohol" when his or her BAC is 0.10 percent or higher.
U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney says Arntson engaged in "a very dangerous offense."
Arntson retired, and his pilot's license was revoked.
