An armed AirTran Airways pilot was charged with operating an aircraft under the influence after a federal screener at McCarran International Airport smelled alcohol, authorities said Thursday.
Las Vegas police arrested Oliver Paul Reason Jr., 37, in the cockpit of the AirTran plane Wednesday night, according to the Transportation Security Administration, police and the airline.
Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc. issued a statement Thursday saying the airline followed its safety procedures to ensure the Atlanta-bound aircraft was held at the gate.
“The captain neither took command of the aircraft nor was the aircraft operated in any manner,” the airline said.
The pilot has been suspended as a flight deck officer, which had allowed him to carry the firearm, the TSA said.
