TIIUItSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1063
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON
FAA Collects Fines From Drunks And Four
Airlines
By ROBERT J. SERLING
UPI Aviation Editor
WASHINGTON (UPI) - Al
most four years have passed
since the Federal Aviation
Agency (FAA) decided to do
something about airborne
drunks.
It was on March 10, I960, that
the FAA added "Rule 40, Sec
tion 371," to the civil air regu
lations that "no person shall
drink any alcoholic beverages
aboard an air carrier aircraft
unless such beverage has been
served to him by the air car
rier operating the aircraft."
About a year later, the rule
p th air
lines greater responsibility for
keeping intoxicated passengers
off their planes. The FAA in
formed the carriers they would
be held responsible if ramp ag
ents or cabin attendants al
lowed drunks to board aircraft
If said drunks wound up cre
ating in-flight disturbances or
endangered safety.
Rule 40 provides a civil pen
alty of up to $1,000 for any pas
senger who decides he can mix
a drink better than a steward
ess. It also provides the same
maximum penalty on any air
line which (1) allows passen
gers to drink from their own bot
Hos ni- (2) permits inebriated
customers to board In the first
place.
Since March 10, 1960, the
FAA has collected more than
$5,500 in fines from 29 passeng
ers. It also has collected $1,250
in fines from four airlines.
Does FAA think the airborne
drinking problem has been
brought under control?
"The situation has improved
since fines were levied," said
the FAA director of flight stand
ards, George Moore. "Mainly
it's due to the publicity given
some of the worst incidents.
We're investigating about
two cases a month and that
level remains fairly constant."
The overwhelming majority
of unpleasant or even dangerous
incidents stem from passengers
who get loaded before they get
on planes.
This, according to Moore, was
the FAA's primary reason for
telling the airlines their ramp
agents, ticket counter personnel
and stewardesses had to keep
drunks from boarding in the
first place.
"Generally speaking," Moore
commented, "stewardesses have
been very efficient in this. The
ground personnel have been far
more lax, first because they
hate to assume the responsibili
ty of telling a passenger he
can't board and second because
they figure 'Let the stewardess
make the decision.' "
The 29 fines against passen
gers since 1960 by no means
represent the total number of
incidents. These number well
over 50. This is relatively low,
however, considering the mil
lions of flights that have been
operated in the last four years.
But each incident represents, at
the least, unpleasantness and at
the most actual danger.
Review Worst Case
The worst case in FAA's files
involved a drunken passenger
who was refused champagne by
a stewardess. He pulled a ?un
on her, belted her in the face
with a fist, and threatened to
force his way into the cockpit.
The captain locked the flight
deck door. The passenger is now
serving a year in prison for en
dangering the safety of an air
craft in flight.
In another case, a drunk did
force his way into the cockpit
and fell across the captain's
shoulder. The surprised pilot in
turn fell forward against the
control yoke and the plane went
into a momentary dive. This
playful passenger shelled out
$500.
One drunk became so violent
it took five crew members to
restrain him. The majority of
incidents usually involve vul
garity, profanity and literally
"disturbing the peace" but
every such incident carries the
seeds of potential catastrophe.
Such as the inebriate who threw
lighted cigarettes on the floor of
an airliner cabin and burned
holes in flight schedule bro
chures. "No one," Moore pointed out,
"can predict what a drunk is
going to do."
In retrospect, one incident
also carried the seeds of humor.
A drunk staggering around New
York's Idlewild Airport recently
approached a well-dressed man
to inquire "Buddy, d'ya Know!
wnat gate blank airlines flight
50 leaves from. I
The other passenger courte
ously escorted him to the right
gate, then waited to see if the
ramp agent would board him.
The ramp agent did. The stew
ardess threw him off. But the
airline wound up paying a $100
fine. The good Samaritan wai
the then-head of FAA Flight
Standards, George Prill.
"There were about 5.000 pen
pie in Idlewild that day,"
chuckled Moore, "and that
drunk had to pick out George
Prill to ask about the gate
number."
While the FAA does not clas
sify drinking as a major prob
i ;, nni lnttintr itn in its
enforcement. Moore believes
the number of incidents reported
may increase in the near future,
not because the drinking prob
lem is getting worse but because
the public itself is more aware
of rule 40 and its implications.
"Wed like the airlines to
take the lead in making sure
passeimers know the penalties
involved," Moore said. ' We may
ask the carriers lo print rule
40 on iiquor menus, for example,
or post copies of the rule at
airports. Education as well as
enforcement is the answer."
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