Delta Pilot, Suspected of Being Under Influence of Alcohol, Arrested at MSP

A Delta Air Lines pilot had already boarded a plane when he was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol earlier this week, according to a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport official.

TSA officials randomly increase screening in different locations and Tuesday they conducted additional checks of flight crew, said Patrick Hogan, airport spokesman.

They came across a man “who left the screening line upon realization of additional screening,” according to an Airport Police Department report.

Gabriel Lyle Schroeder, 37, of Rosemount, then returned to the line and went through screening.

Later, officers found an alcoholic container that belonged to Schroeder, Hogan said. Schroeder allegedly put the bottle somewhere before he was screened and, therefore, didn’t have it with him when he was checked, according to Hogan.

Hogan said he couldn’t get into details about where or how the container was found, or what kind of alcoholic bottle it was.

Schroeder’s “suspicious behavior” in the security line led the Transportation Security Administration to contact Airport Police, Hogan said. Officers went to the plane and had Schroeder disembark.

Police conducted a preliminary test and arrested Schroeder shortly after 11 a.m. on suspicion of being impaired by alcohol.

Under state law, it’s illegal for someone to fly a plane with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.

The Federal Aviation Administration says, at a minimum, there should be eight hours from “bottle to throttle,” and “a more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying.”

Flight 1728 to San Diego was scheduled to depart MSP airport at 1:03 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Delta Air Lines website. It left at 1:54 p.m. after another crew member was called in. The aircraft was an Airbus A321, which typically can carry almost 200 passengers.

Schroeder was released from custody about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, pending the results of additional testing. Hogan did not provide information about Schroeder’s blood-alcohol concentration from the preliminary test.

Schroeder could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Delta has “a zero tolerance policy” for alcohol, according to a spokesman.

In a statement, the Atlanta-based airline, which is the dominant carrier in the Twin Cities, said: “Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have no tolerance for violation. Delta is cooperating with local authorities in their investigation.”

Hogan said instances like Tuesday’s are rare, though “it’s not something you ever want to see.” Hogan said he has worked for MSP for 19 years and added this might be the third time he’s seen a pilot arrested.

“Like with any other crime, if anyone reports a suspicion, we investigate,” Hogan said. “Frankly, flight crews will often police themselves because they don’t want to fly with a pilot who’s under the influence.”

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