A United pilot has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for showing up to work drunk.
Carlos Roberto Licona, a United Airlines 757-200 first officer, showed up to Glasgow Airport reeking of alcohol last August. The stench was so strong that security checkpoint workers took notice and alterted airport authorities.
During the early stages of boarding, authorities boarded the flight and pulled him off — in front of 72 passengers already onboard. A breathalyzer test revealed that his blood alcohol content was 7x over the legal limit.
Doing his preliminary police interview, Licona told police, “I had a few beers with lunch yesterday with the rest of the crew and a few with dinner.”
But evidence emerged that Licona sat up late drinking. Several hours later a fresh blood test revealed that he was still at twice the legal limit.
Now in big trouble for violating §93(1)(b) of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, Licona faced 15 months of in jail.
Licona pleaded guilty, provided a sob story about battling long-term alcohol dependency and asserted he was a good family man and former military member who had just made a mistake.
Time out. I’ll opine here. That is no defense.
Anyway, because of his guilty plea a judge reduced his sentence to 10 months. Although Licona’s lawyer urged the judge to allow him to “finish” his alcohol treatment program instead of sitting in jail, the judge pointed out that Licona had not actually done anything to treat his addiction.
So now Licona will sit in a Scottish prison for almost a year. In case you are wondering, United immediately relieved him of his flying duties and has not paid him since last August, but has not fired him. While United may choose not to publicly declare if it disposes of this pilot, I see no other alternative. I am all about second chances, but not for this. Not for choosing to get drunk when you are responsible for the lives of 144 passengers.
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Just think about all the pilots who DON’T get caught…
Many airline pilots are at one of the two professional extremes: either they love the job and enjoy going to work, or else they are bored with all the sitting and nights in hotels and it drives them to drink. Thank God cockpits have two pilots in them.
Dan, are you an airline pilot? Because if you are and that has been your experience then your experience has been far different than mine. I am an airline pilot and I have never known anyone who hates their job so much they sit around and drink. You better have some serious freaking experience or eveidence to back up a BS generalized claim like that.
I’ve been an airline pilot for 23 years and that is 1000’s of flights, both domestic and international, with 1000’s of different pilots and flight attendants. I have never once observed any with alcohol during a flight. I don’t deny that it happens but it has not been my experience.
OH he’ll get rehired, just look at his name…and probably back pay.
Just pointing out a slight mistake in your article.
Licona and Grebenc will not sit in a prison for “almost a year”. Truth is, they are likely to spend only 2/3 months in jail.
Sentences less than 3 years are automatically halved in Scotland and once a foreign national has served a quarter of their sentence, they can apply to return home. Scottish citizens are given the opportunity to apply for a Tag (home detention), whereas foreign nationals can go home.
I can’t believe how can someone be so irresponsible? Such kind of pilots should not be allowed to fly plain again.
As an airline pilot in recovery, there is a way out of the disease of addiction. I drank because I enjoyed the effects of alcohol and I could drink you under the table. The problem is I have an obsession that tells me I need to drink to feel good and an allergy that continues my drinking even though I know I have to fly tomorrow. This delusion continues until you get caught. I was there last one to know it was a problem. Pray he finds recovery in prison.
It’s a disease and yes he has found recovery. He may have a chance; all a recovering alcoholic needs is hope. Hi Chris! DFW?
The writers closing remark regarding no one forced him to go into the pub, is indicative of the ignorance we have over addictions.
Alcohol and drug addictions are a disease. We treat diseases not punish them. Clearly we cannot allow one who is NOT in recovery to fly planes. But jailing this guy is hardly a solution. We need to be grateful there was someone vigilant and who was willing to take action.