Flight attendant turned up for work more than four times over alcohol limit
Smell of booze coming from American Airlines attendant Cynthia Struble ‘was very strong’ just before London to Dallas flight, according to Heathrow security staff
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Your support makes all the difference.A flight attendant has been fined after reporting for duty while more than four times over the alcohol limit.
Cynthia Struble was in her American Airlines uniform when she was stopped airside at bag search by a member of Heathrow security staff who said they could “definitely smell alcohol” coming from her and that “it was very strong”, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard.
Struble, a US citizen, was among American Airlines cabin crew who were going through a bag search ahead of a flight from London to Dallas on 28 December at about 9.30am.
It was when her bag was rejected at the X-ray machine screening that the security officer spoke to her and noticed the smell of alcohol.
Prosecutor Cheiran Mondal said Struble was asked “to provide a breath test and she provided a positive breath test”.
The police were called and Struble was then taken to a station where she provided a blood test.
Mr Mondal told the court: “The result came back in a toxicology report. This confirmed 93 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – the legal limit being 20.”
Struble, 64, of Dallas, Texas, had pleaded not guilty to being over the prescribed limit.
She was not at court for the trial as she was excused from attending at a previous hearing.
Struble was charged with being a member of cabin crew reporting for duty and performing an ancillary function for a scheduled flight after having consumed so much alcohol that the proportion of it in 100 millilitres exceeded the prescribed limit.
Security officer Angela Klaire, in a statement read out in court, said: “I started to engage in conversation with her and as she was talking I could smell alcohol strongly.
“I talked to her more and definitely could smell alcohol. It was very strong.”
She was asked to sit down so the security officer could radio her manager.
Struble went ahead to the coach towards the gate, the court heard.
Pc Anthony Elsmere, who was on security patrol, caught up with her at the gate bridge, the court heard.
In a statement read out to the court, he said: “I could clearly smell alcohol emanating from Struble. She was able to converse and had no other signs of being under the influence.”
Chair of the magistrates’ bench Philip Newton pointed out that Struble was in uniform, had passed through security with colleagues and there was no doubt that the police had arrested the right member of the cabin crew.
Mr Newton said: “We are satisfied so that we are sure the defendant was performing an activity which was preparing to perform her aviation function and which shall be treated as an ancillary activity to it.
“The bench are sure that Ms Struble was the same person at security and who was arrested.
“We are sure the person was the same person reporting for duty.”
Struble was ordered to pay a total of £1,046, including a £660 fine, £66 victim surcharge and £320 costs.
PA