A Southwest Airlines passenger – a professional comedian – confronted the pilot of his flight during boarding to ask whether the captain was drunk. That did not go over well, and the pilot’s reaction was caught on video. Here’s what transpired:
Man: “Are you the pilot of this flight?”
Pilot: “Yeah, what’s up?”
Man: “You haven’t been drinking or anything, have you?”
Pilot: “You know what, that’s the stupidest f!’ing thing you could say.”
Man: “I’m joking around.”
Pilot: “No, I’m not joking.”
Man: “It’s a joke, sir.”
Pilot: “No, I’m not joking, I can kick you off right now.”
Man: “I’m joking, oh my God. You ever heard of a joke? I’m a comedian.”
Pilot: “Come here. All right. You don’t do that. And the reason is because that gentleman right there, and anyone else who is around, now doubts what I do for a living. I don’t go into your work and say sh!t…”
Man: “I’m very sorry I offended you. I understand.”
Pilots take criticism, even joking criticism very seriously. They take their authority on board very seriously. Combine the two and you’ll find yourself back in the terminal. Without this apology, the passenger clearly wouldn’t have been flying.
We take this kind of accusation very very seriously. This guy claiming to be a “comedian” has to be the worst one I’ve ever seen.
Do. Not. Joke. About. This. It’s not funny.
If you have concerns about a crew member, there are ways to address it. This is not the way. pic.twitter.com/0pZKlNSAR9
— Paul Barbee (@pbarbee) August 3, 2023
In June a Delta flight was cancelled when the captain was arrested for intoxication. This happens infrequently, but isn’t unheard of. In 2019 United pilots flying out of Glasgow to Newark were arrested on intoxication charges and a fully-boarded Delta flight from Minneapolis was cancelled due to an intoxicated pilot. Of course United flight from London was also once delayed to remove a drunk air marshal.
Drinking by pilots is a very sensitive subject. American Airlines was even forced to apologize when their outsource inflight magazine depicted pilots mixing cocktails.
Air travel can be a difficult career and drinking and other substance problems get hidden. Pilots with substance abuse problems are often wary of speaking up and seeking help, for fear of being sidelined, despite programs designed to encourage them to do so.
Pilots hide not just alcohol abuse but mental health conditions and that points to a fundamental conundrum: you want pilots to be open and seek help in order to promote safety, but once they’re open they’re a clearly identified risk and get removed from the cockpit. So the consequences of being open discourage that openness. Or at least that’s the fear many pilots have, not trusting any commitments to help rather than punish.
(HT: Live and Let’s Fly)
Reminds me of the Dean Martin, Foster Brooks sketch…
https://youtu.be/8XC3Hc-rAkk
The passenger was pretty tasteless and the pilot was seriously unprofessional.
I agree. The passenger was just kidding around. I think pilots spend too much time away from people. After a reaction like that (from the pilot), I think I would have taken the next flight. Maybe this pilot has something to hide, at least he acted that way. Too defensive.
Not sure why this is a story. The pilot was right to be offended and respond that way. A stupid “attack” that honestly isn’t even close to funny. Terrible comedian if this was an attempt at funny.
Who was the comedian?
Nobody wants an inebriated pilot. Also I don’t want an angry pilot. Jokester aside, I believe part of a pilot’s duties are projecting a sober and controlled temper. There are proper ways to both ask and answer a question.
After that interaction the ground crew or the police should have used a breathalyzer on the pilot. He seemed to be drunk or hiding something.
Just another power crazed douchebag in his little Nazi uniform.
Pilot should be fired. corrext response was ‘not yet sir’. Power crazed idiot.
To Christian, Maria, Maryland, and AinthePNW:
You haven’t been touching children inappropriately have you?
Lighten up, just joking around. Though if that offended you, maybe we should get CPS out to investigate you. You seem a bit defensive.
@ Bob Spoons
There are many nervous flyers and I’ve been sometimes embarrassed by their need for reassurance. But that is their issue, not mine. When appropriately addressed, I see nothing wrong in asking a question for reassurance, and a comforting response. Neither occurred here.
I take offense at the old saw ” have your beaten your wife lately?” That had nothing relatable to the pilot’s out of control response.
The so-called comedian was absolutely wrong. If that comment was overheard by someone who took his question serious, it could have sparked an issue that didn’t need to be.
With social media the way it is, it wouldn’t take much for a headline to read “Passenger suspects Southwest pilot of flying drunk” and it go viral. Look how this video has taken off. If such happens then this pilot if left defending something that wasn’t true because this ass clown thought he was funny.
For those who think the pilot was wrong, you can kick rocks.
Threatening people is not a good thing. Building a million dollar business of of negativity and rejection is a positive way to get back at someone respectively without telling them payback is coming. Move in silence and grow from your experiences. 🙂
Correct response from the pilot would be to get on the PA and announce to everyone on board “Ladys and Gentlemen, this passenger (point to the man) wants me to take an alcohol breath test. It will come up negative, but since the accusation has been submitted this needs to be done. It will take about an hour. Watch this man while I’m taking care of this. Thank you “.
He won’t make anyone laugh on that flight.
@Lightning1 – now that is brillant.
I feel like some of the commenters are missing a key issue: the subject of impaired pilots is very, very serious and is not something that anyone should joke about.
1. An accusation, even a “joke” can delay a flight or result in its cancellation. The airline, pilot and crew would have to carefully consider whether the “joke” is a real accusation and ensure the flight is safe to operate. This could result in delays.
2. Pilots are highly trained professionals who take their jobs ensuring the safe conduct of a flight very seriously. Accusations to the contrary are profoundly insulting. It would have been better to joke about whether the pilot had ever flown the aircraft than joke about drinking.
3. Accusations such as this can impact the career of a pilot, even if only for a short time. Imagine doing your job and some bozo makes a joke that results in you getting sent home for the day.
Ultimately, this was a terrible “joke” and I think the pilot was so shocked he responded appropriately. Imagine if you “joked” with your spouse’s neurosurgeon about having “one too many” for lunch just before she started the brain surgery to remove a tumor. Funny? I think not. It could also shake the surgeon’s concentration.
I think the pilot responded appropriately. This bonehead “comedian” was making jokes about the pilot’s ability to operate the flight safely. Was he going to cause more problems in flight? It was reasonable to tell him to knock it off or he wasn’t flying that day.
“Comedian” should have been kicked off the flight, arrested for interfering with crew member duties and his phone destroyed. What an A-hole picking a confrontation looking for tick tock views.
Would “joking” at TSA been let go so lightly?
The pilot showed incredible restraint and quickness to think on his feet to comeback with rational responses to an usual situation – exactly who you want at the controls – responsible for your life.
I would have punched him out. Pilot should sue civilly for harassment and defamation of character – tap into some of that sweet “comedian” earnings…
@Bob Spoons – So you’re defending a pilot who was vulgar, threatening, and inappropriate by being vulgar and inappropriate? Interesting.
I personally would have immediately requested a blood test and definitely take legal action against that passenger. I most certainly would not have entered the cockpit and notified the company I would not be flying.
The pilot should have gotten off the aircraft and demanded he be given a breathalyzer test. This would have taken considerable time ensuring everyone got to there destination much later. Once back onboard then the captain could explain the reason for the delay. This comedian is a moron.
Fred, the only problem is that the comedian wasn’t on stage performing. He’s getting ready to board an aircraft and his remarks could potentially irritate the pilot (and did). It wasn’t funny anyway. I for one want the pilot completely in tune with his mission, and not worrying about some jerk. I have no problem with how the pilot reacted. All these people that have issues are just pansies. We have a lot of that going around these days. Say hi to mom for me.
A “comedian” should not have the power to be disruptive of the flight. We all know what would happen if he “joked” about having explosives. The airline pilot pushing back was proper and even restrained. I am surprised that the “comedian” was allowed to fly on that airplane. Maybe his professional “comedian” license should be pulled.
I agree with the pilot 100%. The pilot was very professional. As the captain, I would have thrown the bastard off the flight, called the duty pilot with my decision and, hopefully, the SOB would be put on the no fly list for a couple of years. All crew members are subject to random drug/alcohol tests. When someone, whom I do not know, asks that type of question IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE, that’s where I draw the line. The pilot is absolutely correct. Now, the passenger(s) who hear some or little of the whole conversation will (human nature) question…”Has he been drinking?” My company will back me and any other crew member 100% for this dangerous type of loose talk.
This is what happens to “comedians” when their writers go on strike.
The passenger should be punished for making a joke. He admits that he didn’t think the pilot was drunk so that was a false accusation.
The pilot should be suspended for threatening the passenger.
I’m with the pilot on that one. This was really not funny. Did this “comedian” go through TSA and joke that he had a bomb in his carry-on???
@Bob Spoons – You clearly have some very deep seated issues.
And yes, if someone entrusted their children to me then it’s 100% fair to ask me if I ever touched any children inappropriately.
The key difference is that I’m entrusting my life to a stranger (pilot) and anyone who responds in that manner to an issue that impacts me or my family is hiding something or has issues, either way I’m not flying on their aircraft.
Don’t bring “children” into this matter. People need to stop the garbage of accusing everyone of child abuse, grooming, or being a pedo when they disagree with an opposing view – it’s truly disgusting.
The issue is that there is set procedure when someone voices an opinion questioning a pilot’s sobriety before a flight. He/she has to contact dispatch, which generally delays the flight, then they have to have the pilot do a breathalyzer. Even if, as the guy said, he’s a “comedian” if there’s any question that a pilot isn’t sober, it’s taken seriously.
It’s also worth saying that while that man may refer to himself as a comedian, that does not necessarily make it so. There’s certainly no evidence of it in this video.
It is the policy of some airlines for this situation to be handled by having the flight and cabin crew tested immediately to put any suspicion to rest. If there isn’t a replacement crew immediately available then the flight will just have to be cancelled.
This is a serious situation that can’t be joked about.
This has happened to me as a commercial pilot. I took the passenger aside and explained to him the implications of his words and what impact he had on others. I made it clear that I was speaking with him one on one, away from others in order to limit his embarrassment for making unwise and inappropriate statements. I asked if he understood and he apologized. We took off on time with no further incidents. I believe in a measured response, this SW pilot needs to take a chill pill.
This is a bad take. Alcoholism among pilots is a HUGE problem… The reason pilots don’t get help is that according to the FAA, they will most likely LOSE THEIR LICENSE for seeking treatment. Furthermore, if that alcohol abuse is being used to deal with depression… Guess what? License: GONE. This is an ongoing issue the FAA refuses to deal with and it’s an incredibly dangerous way to certify that a pilot is “fit” to captain an aircraft.
This dude is lucky the pilot didn’t have him immediately escorted off the plane – MOST pilots would have done just that.
This pilot was actually VERY professional in his response. This dude needs to be a comedian somewhere that “joking around” won’t get you killed.
> Christian says:
> August 6, 2023 at 3:18 pm
> The passenger was pretty tasteless and the pilot was seriously unprofessional.
I would have thrown him off the plane… even putting that out there can affect the pilot’s ability to put food on his table given how quickly people can be cancelled these days.
All it takes is one disgruntled passenger to says something equally as stupid like — the flight was so rough, I heard a rumor the pilot was drunk.
@AinthePNW
What a ridiculous statement. You don’t see the harm in throwing groundless accusations at the wall and see what sticks as rumor? Ever hear of the internet? Is a “pedo” going to give you an honest answer when asked?
Absurd equivalence
I’m reminded of when I was a senior in high school and took a geology class trip on a school bus to Mexico during spring break. At the border coming back to the US, while the border patrol person was on the bus, one of my fellow students made a joke about drug smuggling. Thankfully the border agent seemed not to hear it. After we had entered the US without any problem our teacher made it unambiguously clear to the student how bad of an idea that joke was.
Comedian? Maybe he played the lounge in Winnemucca?
.
I am surprised that the captain didn’t ask for a test and the flight would have been delayed or cancelled.
This is a very serious thing to say to a pilot. Not a joke at all.
This “comedian” is not a good one. Did he ask the TSA if they saw the bomb he put in his luggage. Maybe he try that once and see how it turns out for him.
Why are people so ignorant?
What “threat” was leveled here? Pilot should have promised a beat down or arrest. Now that is a threat.
“We mustn’t upset the delicate genius.” George Costanza
@ Maryland. So you take “offense” at the ” have your beaten your wife lately?” analogy but you support the “comedian'” challenging the pilot’s professionalism, with a “joke” and jeopardizing his integrity with passengers and crew and his aviation career? Your “feelings” have rendered your wisdom WOXOF
The “comedian” was wrong, and an immature fool who should grow up.
The Captain was wrong and an authoritarian who abused his power by threatening to throw the idiot “comedian” off of the plane for making a foolish joke.
The comedians errors were of no real consequence. The Captain’s errors are more chilling, and if he worked for me I’d discipline him.
The comedian needs to be escorted off the plane.
The pilot should not have to tolerate an idiot
Off the plane sir
No time for foolishness