Southwest pilot arrested for DUI before Savannah-Chicago flight

A Southwest Airlines pilot was pulled from a cockpit and arrested on a DUI charge minutes before a scheduled departure from Savannah to Chicago after police bodycam footage captured him failing field sobriety tests and admitting to alcohol use the night before. The incident prompted a temporary grounding of Flight 3772, a four-hour delay, and placed questions about airline safety and regulatory consequences into the spotlight as authorities pursue their investigation.

According to the police bodycam record, officers confronted pilot David Allsop on the jet bridge at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport early on January 15. When asked when he had last consumed alcohol, Allsop replied that it had been about 10 hours earlier and that he had “a few beers” the previous night. He initially refused to take the field sobriety tests, telling officers there was “no need.” Officers noted an odor consistent with alcohol, though Allsop tried to attribute it to nicotine products. A breath mint fell from his mouth as he attempted to wipe his lips. After some hesitation, Allsop agreed to the tests and briefly struggled to walk a straight line on the jet bridge, ultimately failing two of...