Edinburgh crime: American airline pilot with alcohol in his system before flying to New York pleads guilty

Pilot caught with alcohol before Edinburgh flight

An American airline pilot who was caught with alcohol in his system before he was due to fly a Boeing 767 from Edinburgh to New York has been jailed.

Lawrence Russell Jr, 63, was due to take control of the large aircraft full of passengers when he was caught with an opened bottle of Jäegermeister in his luggage. Russell Jr, a captain with Delta Airlines, was found to have two bottles of the alcoholic drink in his bag when it was searched by security staff at Edinburgh Airport in June last year.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told one of the bottles was found to be “half full” and the police were subsequently contacted and Russell Jr was arrested following a failed breath test.

The pilot was remanded in custody at the capital court today, Tuesday, March 5, after he pleaded guilty to reporting for duty as a pilot while being impaired through drink or drugs at Edinburgh Airport last year.

Prosecutor Matthew Millar told the court the pilot was due to captain a Boeing 767 flight to JFK Airport in New York when his luggage was selected for inspection at around 8am on June 16 last year. Mr Millar said the airport security staff “noted Mr Russell was wearing a pilot uniform, a lanyard around his neck and a Delta Airline crew pass”.

The pilot, from Georgia, USA, was “identified as the owner of the bag” and when the luggage was searched the bottles of Jäegermeister were found within. The court was told one of the bottles of alcohol found in the bag had been opened and was “half full”.

Lawrence Russell Jr, 63, was caught with an opened bottle of alcohol and failed a breath test before he was due to fly a passenger jet to New York from Edinburgh last summer.

Mr Millar said: “Given Mr Russell was wearing a pilot uniform the police were contacted. Mr Russell identified himself to the constables and said he was the captain of the aircraft.” 

The pilot provided police with a sample of breath at around 9.30am and he was subsequently arrested and taken to Livingston police station where he provided a sample of blood. The court heard the alcohol level in the pilot’s blood sample was “not less than 49mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood”. The legal limit is just 20mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The fiscal depute said when the pilot was cautioned and charged he told officers “I’m terrified”.

Lawyer Pamela Rogers, defending, provided the court with a medical report of the treatment Russell Jr has been receiving for his alcoholism and said he was “under no illusion” to the seriousness of the offence.

Sheriff Alison Stirling remanded Russell Jr in custody and deferred sentence for the preparation of reports to later this month. 

Russell Jr pleaded guilty to performing an aviation function at a time when his ability to perform the function was impaired because of drink or drugs and he did report for duty as a pilot and captain of a Boeing 767 where the proportion of alcohol was not less than 49mg in 100ml of blood at Edinburgh Airport on June 16, 2023.

Following the pilot’s arrest last June, the flight to New York was cancelled and Delta Airlines confirmed all the passengers were being helped with their travel plans. Delta Airlines have been contacted for comment.