US Flight Attendant Pleads Guilty to Flying Intoxicated

A 56-year-old United Airlines flight attendant from California pleaded guilty in a British court to performing aviation duties while more than 10 times over the legal alcohol limit after consuming multiple miniature bottles of vodka during a transatlantic flight.

Margit Lake was working on a Boeing 777 flight from San Francisco to London's Heathrow Airport on October 17 when she drank the alcohol she had brought on board. The 10-hour overnight journey landed without reported disruptions, but upon arrival at Terminal 2, colleagues alerted ground staff due to concerns for her welfare. Paramedics boarded the aircraft and detected a strong smell of alcohol on her breath, along with low blood pressure. She was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A blood test conducted afterward revealed Lake's alcohol level at 216 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, exceeding the United Kingdom's legal limit of 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters for cabin crew by more than 10 times. Prosecutor Beena Makwana told Uxbridge Magistrates Court that Lake's intoxication posed an obvious risk to herself and the passengers on board.

Lake, who had served with United Airlines for 26...