------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Thursday, 15 August 2002 Flier was drunk at hotel, witnesses tell police Pilot removed from Tucson flight By L. Anne Newell ARIZONA DAILY STAR A regional airline pilot was ordered not to fly from Tucson on Saturday after witnesses told police he was drunk and running through his hotel screaming seven hours before he was scheduled to fly to Salt Lake City. The 31-year-old pilot, whose name was not released, has been suspended while SkyWest investigates the incident, said Sabrena Suite, a spokeswoman for the St. George, Utah-based company, which provides contracted service for United and Delta airlines. Another pilot was brought in to fly the plane, resulting in a delay of several hours, she said Wednesday. The first pilot was not arrested and does not face charges for the incident, police said. "In essence, we have an off-duty pilot involved in conduct unbecoming to SkyWest," Suite said. "As safety is our primary concern, SkyWest took measures to ensure that the concern did not become an operational issue. We're investigating if this employee was acting inappropriately." Federal regulations prohibit pilots from operating an aircraft or performing other sensitive functions within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have an blood alcohol content of 0.04 or higher. Tucson police were called to the Embassy Suites Hotel, 7051 S. Tucson Blvd., just before 11 p.m. Friday after the front desk clerk called to report the pilot was running around the hotel and causing a disturbance, a report states. He ran from a hotel security guard, too, the clerk said, and appeared to be taunting the guard by letting him get close and taking off again. Officers went to the man's hotel room, but he slammed the door on them and called 911 to report he was fearful of the officers, the report said. Another SkyWest employee helped calm down the man, who police said had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers left the man in his room, but a few minutes later, the pilot's colleague told officers the man had left again. The man also told police the flight was scheduled for 5:45 a.m. and officers became concerned, thinking the pilot might still be drunk in the morning, the report said. Another pilot called a SkyWest manager, who said the pilot would not be allowed to fly. Moments later, according to the report, the pilot confronted the officers in the parking lot, acted belligerently and called 911 again. After the pilot was told he would not be flying, he walked with police back to his room and agreed to stay there the rest of the night, the report said. Suite said the airline appreciated the concern from its other employees for the pilot's and passengers' well-being. On Tuesday, Mesa Airlines said it fired a pilot who tested positive for alcohol before a flight on Friday. That pilot was scheduled to fly out of the Little Rock, Ark., National Airport to Charlotte, N.C.