After a flight attendant informed management that he had consumed cocaine on a night out, a British Airways A380 first officer who was scheduled to fly the superjumbo from Johannesburg, South Africa, to London, UK, was not allowed to do so.
The Sun claims that first Officer Mike Beaton went out to see the city's nightlife while he was on a stopover and interacted with both locals and tourists.
Beaton, who texted the flight attendant specifics of his night out, said that the group ended up at an apartment where he used cocaine after consuming a lot of alcohol.
Despite being his friend, the flight attendant felt compelled to report the pilot before he was scheduled to take a 12-hour flight on an Airbus A380 to London.
Due to a shortage of available pilots, flight BA56, which was due to take off on August 27, 2023, was subsequently canceled.
Beaton was subjected to a drug test upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) the following day after arriving there as a passenger. The pilot was fired after giving a sample that tested positive for cocaine.
A source from the aviation sector told The Sun that the occurrence was "hard to believe" and that British Airways staff members were shaken up by it.
"The Class A drug was present in his system, but the alcohol would not have been.
He will never fly again, according to the source.
British Airways stated in a statement that "safety is always our top priority" and that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had been notified of the situation. Beaton's medical certificate has been removed, according to the CAA.
A "comprehensive rehabilitation programme" and a "assessment with an expert medical team" may allow the pilot to resume flying, according to the CAA.
Even still, the CAA insisted that the body had to be "completely satisfied" before the pilot's medical certificate could be reinstated.
If a UK pilot misuses alcohol or drugs before boarding an aircraft or while on board, the airline is required to notify us right once. We would immediately suspend the pilot's medical in these circumstances, which implies they cannot fly,” the CAA said.
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