Pilot refuses to fly after passenger smoked marijuana in lavatory

[goblin]

I think Kinder Surprise eggs are still illegal in US too, don't bring any for your kids... lol

They are now. They moved the toy to one half of the egg

 

[Nuclear_42]

I think there are various scenarios here that can happen. Did the passenger hide marijuana somewhere? Are lavatory alarms compromised? Who else has marijuana if that passenger managed to bring it? etc.
Maybe @Astro14 or @Just a civilian pilot can shed some light.

Lavatory alarms are very simple. They all communicate to each other via a smoke detector unit box (computer). Usually cycling circuit breakers clears the fault at the detector and the flight deck. When smoke is detected the lavatory module itself beeps, the flight attendants get a warning chime and flashing indicator light at their stations, and last but not least the flight deck gets an aural warning and displayed fault on their digital status pages depending on the aircraft manufacturer. Smoking on commercial aircraft is illegal and 99.99% guaranteed to get detected by the smoke detectors.

 

[Nukeman7]

I've smelled it in the lavatory. This was approx 50 years ago, as I recall. I was on a flight to Phoenix to visit my sister.
I don't remember anyone getting into trouble, but I could be mistaken.

Regardless, if you can't follow the rules, don't fly.

Smoking was allowed on domestic airline flights until it was banned on February 25, 1990.

 

[2dogs]

I walked out of a friends house because people were smoking weed in another room. I thought if I could smell it, I may test positive. No way was I risking my career and pension. Totally agree with the pilot.

 

[Owen Lucas]

That's going to require a lot of jail space, and while we're at it bring back prohibition

Agreed, we can just deport these people, citizens or not. The British had the right idea with Australia. @Zee09, our resident DHS liaison, will lead the campaign!

Seriously though, I know many who voted for legalization and are now complaining about the smell.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I agree with the Pilot. Airplane air is recirculated, and enough " laced" THC air may make it back to the cockpit. Not so much to the pilot high, but enough to show up on a test. I don't think CAF's on a plane are designed to block THC. Good for him !!!! He earned that license to fly a plane, who knows how many hours he's already flown, why risk his job/pension over some moron smokin a spliff in the bathroom !!!!!!

 

[4WD]

Hey, great news y’all - he only took one hit …
(He be gonna feel hit by a freight )

https://www.ktvu.com/news/passenger-caught-vaping-in-bathroom-of-san-francisco-flight

 

[riff1006]

Are you a doctor?

Would you be willing to post a bond for several million dollars in assurance of that position?

Most BITOG post ever.

 

[Urshurak776]

I agree with the Pilot. Airplane air is recirculated, and enough " laced" THC air may make it back to the cockpit. Not so much to the pilot high, but enough to show up on a test. I don't think CAF's on a plane are designed to block THC. Good for him !!!! He earned that license to fly a plane, who knows how many hours he's already flown, why risk his job/pension over some moron smokin a spliff in the bathroom !!!!!!

Atmosphere control systems use a COH2 burner onboard. This should quickly remove any of the contamination in the atmosphere. Pilot was 100% correct though.

I am a retired submariner. 23 years US Navy. Atmosphere control was part of my responsibility. Scribbers and burners were a big deal.

 

[Pablo]

Some assweed was smoking that brain rot in the park when were playing pickleball. I first, really, thought a skunk sprayed.

Smoke that garbage in your house if you must.

Yes I have smoked pot when I was young and stupid. It made me more stupid, so I quit.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Any smoking or vaping aboard the aircraft, including in the lavatory, is illegal.

The point is this: if the pilot walks in immediately after and gets “secondhand smoke“, is that enough? I don’t know.

And neither does anyone else on this board.

Because any THC in his system would be career ending, I support this guy in his decision.

Let me add that the pilot has a duty to report any impairment to his ability to fly safely. If this exposure caused him enough concern that it created an impairment, then he absolutely did the right thing.

Whether or not it is enough to cause a positive, if he worries about it, then he is not focused on the flight and he is unfit to fly

The problem here is not the Pilot, the problem here is the person who committed a crime in the first place.

Totally agree. Only ONE person is responsible.

 

[GON]

Hey, great news y’all - he only took one hit …
(He be gonna feel hit by a freight )

https://www.ktvu.com/news/passenger-caught-vaping-in-bathroom-of-san-francisco-flight

Very entitled adult male in that video.

 

[RDY4WAR]

This reminds me of a recent situation involving a PFC in the Army, though unrelated in terms of events. A good friend of mine is an SFC and platoon SGT. A PFC in his platoon ate a bunch of weed gummies not realizing they were weed gummies. He ate roughly 200 mg before someone pointed it out. (for reference, about 25 mg will get a beginner fairly buzzed with 50 mg giving you a decent high) He was on duty when it happened and went to his chain of command immediately. They took him straight to medical where they basically said there wasn't anything they could do. Pumping his stomach wasn't justified given the lack of lethality and absorption of the THC so they basically had him lay in a bed and told him to hold onto something as he was about to go on the wildest mental trip of his life. The worst that happened was he threw up a couple times which made his chest and face hurt a bit more than they already were from his near constant laughing. He was freaking out and had the giggles at the same time. He said colors in the room got really vivid, felt weightless but couldn't really move, but his mind was completely blank. He was thinking of nothing and anything someone told him went right in one ear and out the other. He completely forgot it within 5 seconds. He said it was the scariest few hours of his life. His chain of command didn't come down on him, accepted it was an accidental encounter, and had him take a pee test every few days until it cleared his system before clearing him to return to normal duty.

 

[Jetronic]

No way are you going to piss hot from someone hitting a vape or a one hitter in an airplane bathroom.

I once blew 0.02% alcohol and I don't drink. All I did was eat a sandwich seconds before (ham and cheese on butter, btw). When I tried again it registered 0.00%, luckily.

 

[CarlB]

Yeah, that’s about zero.

People think they’re getting away with smoking or vaping in the lavatory, and they always get caught.

Then they try to deny it. Then it creates a problem, then we end up having the police meet the airplane.

By definition you wouldn't have evidence. I don't think we can develop a number.

 

[Astro14]

By definition you wouldn't have evidence. I don't think we can develop a number.

I don’t know how many get away with it, that’s true if that’s your point, however, I do know that they get caught all the time.

The people who vape or smoke in the laboratories typically do not get away with it.

The smoke detectors are very sensitive and will catch the vape, as well as the smoke. If they disable the smoke detector, we get a warning about that as well.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Very entitled adult male in that video.

I really don't think I want to use someone who claims to be a lawyer after he pulls a stunt like he just got busted doing! He really thought he could get away with it!? Not too intelligent.... Yet from that entitled attitude you pointed out, I expect a clown like him to use the video in one of his "lawyer commercials!" He can do what he wants and put anything he likes into his own body. How about just on his own time and not affect the lives of so many others? Yeah. Who wants to use him as your lawyer?

WoW. Our society is in real trouble when one of the first things out of the mouth is to blast "I got x number of followers!?" WT? Really? WHO? WHY? Followers of what? Is he leading a cult. That so called lawyer (he laughs when he claims to be one) cares more about his "followers" than all the people on that plane whose lives he disrupted.

 

[y_p_w]

They are now. They moved the toy to one half of the egg

That’s Kinder Joy.

 

[edyvw]

I once blew 0.02% alcohol and I don't drink. All I did was eat a sandwich seconds before (ham and cheese on butter, btw). When I tried again it registered 0.00%, luckily.

Grapes will register a small amount if you blow.
Some Mediterranean countries went 0.00% alcohol and quickly had to adjust it bcs. grapes etc. Though, clergy was behind it as they wanted to drink wine on Sundays

 

[Jetronic]

Grapes will register a small amount if you blow.
Some Mediterranean countries went 0.00% alcohol and quickly had to adjust it bcs. grapes etc. Though, clergy was behind it as they wanted to drink wine on Sundays

yes my job requires 0.00%. I could get fired with 0.02%