On January 15, 2025, pilot David Paul Allsop was arrested at Savannah/Hilton Head Airport in Georgia prior to a flight to Chicago after authorities removed him from the cockpit for suspected intoxication and he was ordered to take a field sobriety test.
The incident was formally disclosed when a body-cam video was released on January 15, 2025, the date the story was published in various media outlets such as People and ABC.
According to reports, the pilot had red eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, and initially refused to take a breathalyzer test. He also claimed the odor came from nicotine patches.
Southwest Airlines confirmed that he has been suspended from his duties while the investigation is ongoing.