Former Alaska Airlines pilot charged with flying under influence of alcohol
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A former Alaska Airlines captain has been charged with operating an airliner under the influence of alcohol.
The U.S. attorney's office says David Hans Arnston, of Newport Beach, California, was arraigned in federal court Wednesday on one felony count.
The 60-year-old was freed on a $25,000 bond and ordered to return to court for a hearing Feb. 10.
Authorities say Arnston was tested twice for drugs and alcohol on June 20, 2014, after piloting an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Orange County's John Wayne Airport.
After posting blood-alcohol readings of 0.134 and 0.142 percent, he was removed from what the airline calls safety-sensitive duties. He subsequently retired.
The former pilot could not be contacted for comment Thursday. A phone number listed for him had been disconnected.