When was the last time you had something to drink? >> Last night. >> So, just pay attention with the tip of the SP intent operated aircraft while >> on the morning of January 15th, 2025 at Savannah Hilton Head International Airport, a Southwest Airlines flight was scheduled to depart for Chicago Midway. However, passengers experienced a shocking delay once they saw police officers come aboard and remove the plane's pilot. During a routine security screening, a TSA officer noticed that the pilot, 52-year-old David Paul Alop, quote, rire of alcohol. >> TSA reporting a pilot could smell alcohol on his breath. The pilot is currently located on the plane at gate two. >> Officers responded shortly after and boarded the aircraft before departure. The pilot was found seated in the cockpit preparing for takeoff. Officers confronted Alop and put him through a trial of tests to determine if he was truly under the influence or not. Body cam footage from the responding officers captured the interaction that followed. [Music] >> Yeah. >> Say again. Morning, [Music] sir. >> Morning. How are you? >> You doing okay? >> Yeah, fine. >> When was the last time you had something a drink? >> Last night. >> About how many hours ago? >> Uh, like 10 hours ago at least. >> How many drinks did you have? >> A few beers, sir. >> Define a few beers. >> Few beers. Define a few beers. >> It's free. >> Okay. Yeah. >> What' you drink? >> Light beer. No light. >> No light. >> Yeah. >> Anything else? >> Nope. >> Okay. >> Who are you with? >> My f up. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Would you be willing to provide uh field sobriety with me right now? >> No. >> Why not? >> There's no need. >> Well, I can smell an odor consistent with an alcoholic beverage. >> Oh, sorry. Please. What was that? >> Gross. >> You have any fresh ones that haven't been in your mouth? >> Yeah. >> Right in the back. [Music] >> Thank you. [Music] [Music] [Music] Is this smells mini? [Music] [Music] So my issue is I don't have a PBT like fully booked know 8 hours separation from the last rank you have that we had a couple minutes so we already have a report that said possible might be some inebriation. Someone detected smell alcohol and then guys I'm just telling you we got >> I can sense or I can have a I have a smell of a adult refuge coming off of you. I don't know if it's coming out your mouth or your skin. If it's coming out the pork I get it. Um but uh we got to do our thing. So you know I see him. >> Would you do field sobriety? >> Sure. >> Do you have a jacket or something? Cuz it's kind of cold outside. >> I'm going to do the eyes first. Just watch it cuz obviously I know you're not certified so like I have to do it but just watch for clues and stuff. business. It's this will be a brand new unchared territory. I talk to the first off. >> Yeah. >> You guys want to talk to the lady? They were there too. >> Okay, we'll do that. We'll go ahead and do one. Do you have any time for >> Yeah, >> we do. >> We do. I don't have my phone, but I think my watch is dead, but uh second few minutes. >> Well, this can go quickly, but >> Okay. So, do you have any health issues? Any So, you're a pilot who can't have any crazy health issues or any problem. I noticed you wear contact or you got glasses. >> So, what I'm just going to ask you to do, let me >> just go away from the passenger. Sure. Okay. So, all I need you to do is the tip of my pen right here, this little white tip. >> I'm going to move it back and forth. I need you to follow it with your eyes. Your eyes only. >> Do you understand that? >> You don't have any issues doing that for me? >> Okay. So, just pay attention with the tip of the spinner. All right, for this next exercise, >> um, I know it's kind of difficult because it's kind of at an incline. Um, but just on here on this most flat surface, I need you to take a series of heel toe steps. I'm going to explain it to you. What you're going to do is you're going to put your left foot or your right foot, whichever is more comfortable. I'm left-handed, so I'm using my right foot first. You're going to go heel toe, and if you just take a step to the side really quick, All right. If you step down on this little platform. All right. So, this next test is called the one-legged stand. So, what you're going to do is whichever foot you prefer, whichever one you feel like you have a stronger balance with, you're just going to with your hands at your side, put your foot out in front of you like this, and you're going to hold it. Just count out loud. 1 1 2 100 3 100 Does that tell you to stop? >> Okay. >> Don't start until I tell you where to begin. Do you understand these instructions? >> Sure. >> All right. You may begin. >> Okay. You can stop. >> Um, just do me a favor and just hang on really quick. Here's a mint back. I just got to go talk to them. Okay. Yeah, >> I saw Yeah, the nice diagnos. I didn't really see it in the walking time. Um, but I definitely saw the nice. >> Yeah. So, at this point, what would it be? Do you rely doesn't >> According to official reports, the officers also observed an odor of alcohol when interacting with the pilot. Officers decided to interview Alop's co-pilot for any additional evidence. They also notified the co-pilot that they had enough evidence to detain Alop due to their suspicions of him being intoxicated. Thanks for going. What's going on? So, my name is Coral Best. I'm a supervisor right now with the airport police department. Um, so just you guys know I had a few drinks last night. >> I I'm here and we had a drink. Yeah. >> So, my problem is is that right now Sam's talking to you. I don't smell anything coming off of you. I can smell a very strong odor alcohol beverage coming off of him. That's a huge issue regardless in general whether we were standing on the side of the road camera right next to you or even bigger issue because there's what probably it doesn't matter point. Yeah. But the issue is I can detect it and so obviously I don't know where you guys are based out of where the hub is but with the FST that I just put him through. He did exhibit sign and impairment on top of the auto officer as well. So I am going to make phone call to my supervisor but there's a very strong possibility or very strong probability that he's going to be taking a shot at detention center. the world intent operating aircraft were intoxicated. So if you need to start making some roll calls on your squad and start doing was given one last chance to allow officers to take a blood draw in order for them to obtain an objective blood alcohol level, but he refused and was subsequently arrested. >> All right, sir. Do you have any personal belongings on the plane? >> I do. >> What do you have on there? Like just like your go bag and like what's going on and everything? Yep. >> Okay. Um, so my issue is is I'm trained in standardized field sobriety and you've exhibited strong signs and even after speaking with your first pilot, like the issue is would you agree to a blood draw to test your blood alcohol content? >> Okay. Well, the issue is is when you agreed to the field sobriety, you exhibited the symptoms and if you're refusing to a blood draw, that's that's DUI less safe for the willful intention to operate commercial aircraft. >> Seriously? Yes, sir. >> How did I fail? I got everything. >> The signs that you exhibited during those three tests, I'm able to articulate based off those and the odor coming off of your person. It's very consistent with DUI. >> Okay. Well, yeah. >> So, what do you want me to do? So, what's going to happen is if you if you don't agree to a blood draw to it'll be DUI less safe, you'll be booked into the Chadam County Detention Center and you can we'll give you a phone call. You can more than likely cuz it's what? Tuesday. It's a weekday. But that that's the route that we're going to have to take unfortunately. Okay. >> Okay. And if I did agree to a blood draw, then what? I mean that that's just it's a it's part of the ongoing investigation that it's like you know I did my part but it's like your blood is the like the non-negotiable like that'll prove whether or not >> it is what it is. >> Mhm. >> So >> okay. Yeah. Well, >> but obviously I can't coach you in that. You have your right. You said no. So based off that alone and based off the fields so right you >> even if I gave you blood then nothing would change. >> Okay. Right. >> That that is your willful choice that you were willing to make, but based off the calls that we received stating that people down in TSA could smell what smelled like alcohol coming off of your breath and they're not trained. I am trained in odor hall odor and alcohol >> impairment. That's fine. I mean, nothing's going to change your mind. >> I didn't even talk to TSA today. I went to KCM. >> That it's operated by TSA, >> right? >> Okay. So, all right. I'll get my stuff, but whatever you got to do. >> Okay. My officer is um going to grab your stuff. If you don't mind, we're just going to head up to the patrol car. So, that way we don't have to do all in front of the public eye. As long as you just be cool, I'll be cool. >> Oh, absolutely. But yeah, I'd like to um like I mean, I can't take care of myself. >> Yeah, if you would like to, we can do that. >> Yeah. They instructed Alop to gather his personal items and removed him from the flight. He was escorted out of the airport and into a police cruiser. Let's go this way. Um, now really quickly, like I said, I'm going to be cool with you. I know it's a shitty scenario. Um, do you have like a driver's license with you? Like I know you have all your airport credentials with you. >> I keep that just for documentational purposes. I hate having two phones. [Music] >> And then you mind just taking off the lanyard so I can take a picture of your Southwest credential, too. [Music] Um, so um I don't believe that they're going to allow you to keep all this at the jail. So, we're just going to log it into our evidence here. So, that way once you get bailed out, you come back here, there'll be a property sheet and everything. So, you'll have to come back out here and then evidence custodian. We'll sign your luggage back out to you. Okay. >> I guess my wallet. >> Uh, you can keep that. And do you have your phone as well? >> Yeah, those they'll let you keep those. Unfortunately, just because it's like big luggage and everything, they don't let people keep that anymore. So, unfortunately, this is the nitty-gritty part. I just have to read you the applied consent law in Georgia. Even though I know your license was out of a different state, you're just currently in Georgia from qualified personnel of your own choosing. You've already agreed that you did not want to participate in the blood draw. So, because of that, I'm now going to detain you. Like I said, as long as you just continue to be cool with me, I'm cool with you. Okay. >> Can you step over here really quick? >> Yeah. >> Step one. >> If you just want to put it up there with your ID and everything, it'll be all in a little baggie for you. [Music] You just stand face away from me. Oh, hang Before you set up your hand back for me, palms up. [Music] [Music] Hang [Music] on. One second. One second. One second. [Music] All right. Go ahead. your hands. [Music] >> 52-year-old David Paul Alop was subsequently arrested for trying to fly a plane while intoxicated. His license was also revoked and it seems that his career as a pilot is all but over. Passengers who had the unfortunate luck of boarding this plane were stuck waiting for approximately 4 hours before Southwest Airlines was able to bring in a new and sober pilot.