You never want to hear “I had three beers” from the guy flying your plane.
Especially right before takeoff. But that’s exactly what passengers got when TSA flagged Southwest pilot David Allsop in January 2025 for allegedly smelling like booze at the Savannah airport.
Ten hours after sipping Miller Lite, he was yanked from the cockpit, failed a sobriety test, and cuffed on the jet bridge. Now, he’s out of a job, stripped of his license, and still insists he wasn’t drunk. The alcohol wasn’t on his breath — it was in the air, apparently.
According to police bodycam footage, Allsop admitted to drinking “a few beers” the night before his scheduled flight to Chicago.
Officers said they smelled alcohol. Allsop argued it was his nicotine pouches. The pilot refused a field sobriety test at first, then changed his mind. Police say he failed. He says the test was botched. Either way, he was walked off the plane and into custody while Flight 3772 sat grounded for hours.
Southwest Airlines acted fast, removing Allsop from duty and terminating his employment. By March, the FAA had fully revoked his pilot certification. Allsop’s lawyer pushed back, claiming the arresting officer didn’t follow proper protocol and that “experts” agree the sobriety test was done wrong. He called the 20-year veteran and ex-Air Force pilot an “American hero.”
Even if Allsop was under the legal limit, the FAA has strict rules: no drinking within eight hours of flying, and no operating an aircraft with even a 0.04% BAC. Those lines aren’t blurry. Aviation doesn’t play with gray areas, and one misstep near the cockpit can cost everything.
Whether Allsop was wronged or just reckless, it no longer matters. His flying days are over, and three beers turned into a permanent grounding.
