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Drunk co-pilot who was 7 times over the legal limit jailed in Norway

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A drunk airBaltic co-pilot who was nearly seven times over the legal blood alcohol limit was sentenced to six months jail by a Norwegian court.

The 38-year-old Latvian man admitted to downing two bottles of whisky and some beer with some of his crew member just several hours before a flight to Greece from Oslo.

Around 100 passengers were scheduled to take off before the co-pilot and his colleagues failed a breathalyser test.

In his verdict, the judge highlighted the co-pilot’s high level of intoxication, the number of people whose lives would have been endangered if he had flown the plane, the length of the flight, and the fact that he must have known that his colleagues had also been drinking.

Pilot rejects charges

Meanwhile the 50-year-old Latvian pilot, whose alcohol level was more than double the legal limit, has rejected some of the charges against him.

He is being held in custody and will go before a court on Sept 17.

Two Latvian stewardesses also tested positive for alcohol.

According to The Guardian, the co-pilot said in court that the crew had "lost control" and was he still drinking four hours before the flight was scheduled to take off.

Norwegian police tested the crew shortly before take-off after receiving a tip-off from an anonymous caller.

The airline has meanwhile said that it has begun dismissal procedures against the crew.

Sources: AFP, The Guardian

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