“Eight hours from bottle to throttle” is one of the first things that pilots are taught. The FAA states that a pilot may not ingest alcohol within eight hours of a flight and cannot have a blood alcohol content above 0.04% at any time. Some airlines, such as United, have even stricter regulations in which a pilot must not ingest alcohol for 12 hours before a flight.
Even after the body completely destroys a moderate amount of alcohol, a pilot can still be severely impaired for many hours by a hangover. In other words, the eight-hour rule doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good idea for a pilot to enter the cockpit. In fact, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Some pilots have a much broader window in which they will not use alcohol within 24 hours of flying.
Figures from the FAA Alcohol and Flying brochure
Additionally, the FAA requires all airmen to report any current or past legal actions involving alcohol. Airmen, while only making up a small percentage of the general population, are still subject to the same temptations as anyone else. Every aviation accident is tragic, however, from an aviation safety standpoint, the most serious accidents are those caused by repeat offenders of the FAA’s alcohol policy.
In October of 2007, a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student were killed in an alcohol-related accident.
That day, the CFI and a student were practicing touch-and-go landings in the vicinity of the uncontrolled Palm Springs-Bermuda Dunes Airport (UDD). The Cessna 172 took off to the west, returned, and performed a touch-and-go in the opposite direction, then made two sharp 90-degree turns to line up with the western runway again. The airplane did a touch-and-go and appeared to climb at a very steep angle. Witnesses indicated that it appeared to be fully silhouetted in plain view against the sky when viewed from behind. The airplane then turned to the right and dropped to the ground.
The student pilot survived the accident and later revealed to officials that he was instructed by the CFI to fly down the runway just high enough so that the wheels would not touch. The student then pulled up to the appropriate takeoff attitude, but most likely failed to apply takeoff power and the CFI failed to respond to the situation before the airplane was in a nose high. The plane then entered a stalled condition in which there was not sufficient altitude to recover safely.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) chart from Aware Awake Alive
The CFI’s postmortem blood ethanol level was 0.31%, a level that would render a nontolerant individual unconscious, or nearly so. This level of tolerance suggests a minimum period of weeks or months of sustained increased alcohol intake, rather than a single binge event. Witnesses even saw the instructor consume alcohol before the flight, he had a prior DUI conviction and liver cirrhosis was found during the autopsy. The CFI’s judgment and performance were undoubtedly impaired by alcohol. The CFI had reported to the FAA his prior DUI, but the FAA did not request details, nor require an additional substance dependence evaluation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable causes of this accident to be the flight instructor’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall during takeoff initial climb and his impairment from alcohol.
Providing more detailed documentation to Aviation Medical Examiners (AME) to aid in the determination of eligibility for medical certification is important and could potentially save the lives of pilots, their passengers, and people on the ground. Additionally, identifying pilots with substance abuse problems is not only paramount for providing a safe environment to fly but also benefits pilots who may not have previously addressed these issues. Here are some tips to consider:
Eight hours from bottle to throttle
As a minimum, adhere to all the guidelines of 14 CFR Part 91.17: Eight hours from “bottle to throttle” and do not fly while under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, do not fly while using any drug that may adversely affect safety.
It’s better to be safe than sorry
A more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. This is especially true if intoxication occurred or if you plan to fly IFR. Cold showers, drinking black coffee or breathing 100% oxygen cannot speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body.
Consider the effects of a hangover.
Eight hours from “bottle to throttle” does not mean you are in the best physical condition to fly, or that your blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limits. Being hungover is still an impairment to some and should be a factor to consider when deciding to fly.
Recognize the hazards of combining alcohol consumption and flying.
Use good judgment and hold yourself/others accountable. Your life and the lives of your passengers are at risk if you drink and fly. Keep in mind that regulations alone are no guarantee that problems won’t occur. It is far more important for pilots to understand the negative effects of alcohol and its deadly impact on flight safety.
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