Pilot arrested for intoxication identifed as Chadds Ford man

The American Airlines copilot accused of being intoxicated before a scheduled flight to Philadelphia from Detroit on Saturday is from Chadds Ford, the Wayne County, Mich., Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.

John Francis Maguire, 50, has been charged with a misdemeanor crime of operating an aircraft under the influence.

Maguire, who was released after being charged Saturday, will be arraigned next week, said Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

At 6:28 a.m. Saturday, Transportation Security Administration screeners observed that Maguire, while going through crew security screening, "appeared to be under the influence of alcohol," said a report of the Wayne Metro Airport Police Department.

"He smelled of liquor and was unsteady walking to his gate," said a TSA officer, who told a TSA supervisor.

Wayne County Airport Authority Police immediately went to Gate D-18 and into the aircraft where Maguire was seated in the cockpit. Officers "could immediately smell the odor of liquor and mouthwash," the report stated.

Police asked Maguire to step off the plane, where he was observed being "unsteady on his feet. He leaned into the wall a couple times." His face was flushed red and his eyes were bloodshot, according to authorities. "He slurred some of his words," the report said.

Maguire consented to a Breathalyzer test, but in his first attempt he did not blow into the machine. On the second try, he did not take a deep enough breath, police said.

The third Breathalyzer test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.081, police said.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations say pilots may not operate or attempt to operate an aircraft within eight hours of having consumed alcohol, while under the influence, or with a blood-alcohol level of 0.04 percent or greater.

Maguire told police he had been drinking the night before.

Flight 736 had been scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia at 8:47 a.m. Saturday. The flight was canceled. Passengers were moved to other flights; they all arrived safely in Philadelphia, American spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said.

"This a serious matter and we will handle it appropriately, as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority," Nedbal said, when asked whether Maguire had been suspended. "We do not disclose employment status publicly, so we will not have further details to release."

Earlier, American apologized "to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans."

Maguire was kept in police lockup until his blood-alcohol level was "reasonable" before being released Saturday, said Michael Conway, spokesman for Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

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