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A JetBlue pilot told authorities that he had consumed seven to eight drinks before being removed from the cockpit of a plane leaving Buffalo Niagra International Airport Wednesday (March 2) morning.
James Clifton, 52, of Orlando, Florida, was arrested and registering a blood-alcohol level of .17 after a Transportation Security Administration officer told authorities that the pilot appeared to be "impaired" while walking through the security checkpoint, Niagra Frontier TSA spokeswoman Helen Tederous confirmed to NBC News.
Clifton told authorities that he'd had seven to eight drinks prior to getting on the plane, which was scheduled to depart to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the time.
The pilot told police he needed to get his gun from the cockpit while being detained. Pilots are permitted to carry firearms on planes if certified to do so, however, NBC News reports Clifton's status wasn't immediately made clear at the time of its report Wednesday night.
Clifton could face federal charges in relation to the incident and it wasn't immediately cleared whether he has a lawyer, Tederous confirmed to NBC News.
JetBlue issued a statement confirming it was aware of the incident and planned to fully cooperate with law enforcement during its investigation.
The company also confirmed that Clifton was removed of his duties amid an ongoing internal inquiry of the incident.
"We adhere to all DOT rules and requirements concerning alcohol at all times and have a very strict zero-tolerance internal alcohol policy," the statement read via NBC News.
Federal regulations prohibit pilots from consuming alcohol while on-duty within an eight-hour span of their scheduled flight or having a blood alcohol level exceeding .04.