JetBlue Pilot Allegedly Flew Drunk to JFK With 150 Passengers on Board

Photo by Ben Carleton

QUEENS, NY — Former JetBlue pilot Dennis Thomas Murphy, Jr., drunk-drove a passenger plane from the Orlando, International Airport in Florida to JFK Airport with more than 150 passengers on board around this time last year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn.

The criminal complaint against Murphy — unsealed Wednesday — says the newbie pilot only in his fourth month on the job when he blew a 1.11 on a Breathalyzer test upon landing at JFK on April 21, 2015.

Earlier in the day, he had also flown a plane from JFK to Orlando with about 120 passengers on board.

Murphy became nervous, the complaint says, when informed he had been selected for a random alcohol test.

"During the walk to the onsite testing office at JFK Airport, Murphy's face was red and he was chewing gum rapidly," the complaint says. And "after the Collector presented Murphy with the results of the breath alcohol tests, Murphy stated that the results must have been caused by the gum that he was chewing."

Murphy's co-pilot later told investigators he'd watched Murphy "drinking an unknown beverage from a cup" during both flights, according to the complaint.

JetBlue's alleged drunk pilot was fired immediately after the test. He's scheduled to make his first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon.

"JetBlue has a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy," a spokesman for the company told Patch. "Following last year’s incident, the crewmember was removed from duty and is no longer employed at JetBlue."