A Southwest Airlines pilot has been arrested moments before he was due to take off for allegedly being too drunk to fly.
David Allsop, 52, was apprehended at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on Wednesday morning.
Police were called to reports he had shown up to work intoxicated and took him into custody at around 7am.
Allsop, from Bedford, New Hampshire, was due to captain Southwest Flight 3772 to Chicago.
An image shows police boarding the aircraft to arrest Allsop in the cockpit in front of stunned passengers.
Customers aboard the flight were delayed nearly four hours, with the jet eventually taking off before 11am.
Several passengers were accommodated on different flights to try and ease the disruption.
Allsop has been removed from service pending an investigation by the airline and the police.
Southwest Airlines pilot David Allsop has been arrested moments before he was due to take off for allegedly being too drunk to fly
Allsop, 52, was apprehended at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport on Wednesday morning
Allsop, from Bedford, New Hampshire , was due to captain Southwest Flight 3772 to Chicago
‘We’re aware of a situation involving an Employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah,’ A Southwest Airlines spokeswoman said. ‘The employee has been removed from duty.
‘There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the Safety of our employees and customers.’
Allsop’s Linkedin profile indicates that he has been a pilot with Southwest Airlines for more than 19 years.
Prior to that he serviced in the US Air Force, starting out in the 50th Airlift Squadron in 1998.
Police are yet to state how they were alerted to the fact that Allsop may have been too drunk to fly.
DailyMail.com has contacted Southwest Airlines for comment.