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America West Flight 556 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami, Florida to Phoenix, Arizona operated by America West Airlines. It is most remembered for an incident that took place on July 1, 2002 in which the two pilots scheduled to operate this flight were legally drunk. The Magic City, The American Riviera, The Sixth Borough, M.I.A Location of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...
Flag Seal Nickname: Valley of the Sun Location Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Arizona Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,230. ...
America West Airlines (IATA: HP, ICAO: AWE, and Callsign: Cactus), operating as US Airways, is one of the United States ten major airlines. ...
July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ...
For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...
Drunkenness, in its most common usage, is the state of being intoxicated with alcohol (i. ...
Background
On June 30, captain Thomas Cloyd and first officer Christopher Hughes flew from Phoenix to Miami. That night, they entered Mr. Moe's, a sports bar in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood, along with the three flight attendants scheduled to fly with them on Flight 556 the next morning. At 10:30 p.m. that night, Cloyd opened up a tab. Over the next six hours--or into the early hours of July 1--Cloyd and Hughes drank seven 34-ounce beers, seven 16-ounce beers, one draft beer of unspecified size and a martini. They also ate a hamburger. The tab ran to just over $122, with a $20 tip. The bar staff finally kicked the men out at 4:45 a.m. after they knocked over a bar stool, and Cloyd and Hughes returned to their hotel at 5:30 a.m. The flight attendants had left the bar several hours earlier. June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ...
Tourists sit outside a bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand A bar is an establishment where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk on premises. ...
Alternate spelling: see Cocoanut Grove (disambiguation). ...
Flight attendants, formerly called sky girls, air hostesses, stewardesses and stewards are responsible for the wellbeing of airline passengers. ...
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Draft Leffe (Belgian beer) in a London pub Draught beer (also called draft beer or tap beer) is beer that has been served from, or has been conditioned in, a cask. ...
See: Martini (cocktail) - a popular cocktail. ...
A shuttle arrived at the hotel to pick up Cloyd, Hughes and the flight attendants at 9:30 a.m. However, they had to wait about 20 minutes for Hughes, who entered looking somewhat disheveled. Flight 556 was scheduled to leave for Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix at 10:38 a.m. When the shuttle arrived at Miami International Airport, the pilots stopped at Starbucks Coffee before going to the security checkpoint. A security screener asked Cloyd to throw away his coffee cup, but Cloyd refused. When a supervisor was called and tried to get him to comply, Cloyd responded, "that shit doesn't apply to me." However, Cloyd finally threw away his coffee cup after police were called. Several screeners reported smelling alcohol on the pilots' breath and asked a ground security coordinator to speak with them at the gate. When she noted that there were concerns Cloyd and Hughes were drunk, Cloyd blamed it on bad breath. However, the supervisor had already called the Transportation Security Administration, who then alerted the police. By the time police arrived, the Airbus 319 had already taxied to the runway. However, the police and TSA ordered the plane back to the terminal. Cloyd and Hughes flunked a field sobriety test and were arrested at 11:45 a.m for operating an aircraft while intoxicated, a felony in Florida. America West cancelled the flight and arranged for the 127 passengers to fly to Phoenix on other airlines. Sky Harbor International Airport (IATA: PHX, ICAO: KPHX) in Phoenix is Arizonas main international airport, one of the largest aviation facilities in the American Southwest and one of the top ten busiest airports in the country. ...
Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA, ICAO: KMIA), is a major airport located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida between the cities of Hialeah, Doral, Fountainbleau, and Miami Springs. ...
For other meanings of the name Starbuck, see Starbuck A Starbucks coffee shop in Leeds, England Starbucks ( NASDAQ: SBUX) is a large multinational chain of coffee shops, often serving desserts, with a reputation in the US as a center for socializing, particularly among students and young urban professionals. ...
In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. ...
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created as part of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001. ...
The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ...
A felony, in many common law legal systems, is the term for a very serious crime, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ...
At the police station, Cloyd and Hughes both consented to a breathalyzer test. Cloyd's blood alcohol content was 0.091; Hughes' was 0.084. Both results were above Florida's legal limit of 0.08, and more than double the Federal Aviation Administration's limit of 0.04. America West fired Cloyd and Hughes the next day, and the FAA grounded them on July 4. Cloyd had worked for America West since 1990; Hughes since 1999. America West had a policy that barred its pilots from drinking 12 hours before a flight, meaning that Cloyd and Hughes were in violation of America West policy the moment they opened their bar tab. This is stricter than the FAA's requirement that pilots do not drink for four hours before a flight. It later emerged that Cloyd had not told America West that he had been arrested twice for alcohol-related offenses. A breathalyzer (or breathalyser) is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. ...
Blood alcohol content (BAC) or blood alcohol concentration is the concentration of alcohol in blood. ...
The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. // Activities Along with the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the FAA is one of the two main agencies worldwide responsible for the certification of new aircraft. ...
July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ...
This article is about the year. ...
1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
Trial Cloyd and Hughes were subsequently indicted by a Miami-Dade County grand jury on one count each of operating an aircraft while intoxicated. They were released on $7,500 bail. However, the pilots tried to get the case thrown out, contending that the federal government had exclusive jurisdiction over aviation safety unless there is a loss of life, serious injury, or damage to property. In 2003, a federal judge agreed with the pilots. This was critical, because federal law allows for prosecution if one's blood alcohol content is 0.10. The pilots were far below that standard (although they were far above the FAA standard), raising the possibility that they'd escape federal charges. However, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Florida did have jurisdiction over the case and that its prosecution had to run its course before federal courts got involved. This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. The pilots then negotiated a plea bargain in which they would have pleaded guilty in return for 14-month prison terms. However, Circuit Court Judge David Young rejected the deal, and the trial began in May 2005. County slogan: Delivering Excellence Every Day Location of county in the state of Florida County Seat Miami, Florida Area - Total - Water 6,297 km² (2,431 mi²) 1,257 km² (485 mi²) 19. ...
A grand jury is a type of common law jury responsible for investigating alleged crimes, examining evidence, and issuing indictments if they believe that there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed. ...
2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia These districts were originally part...
The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The main issue of the trial was the definition of "operating an aircraft." In order to win a conviction, the state had to prove the pilots were in control of the plane while under the influence of alcohol. The prosecution contended that the pilots were operating the aircraft from the moment they assumed responsibility for the plane. An America West operations manager testified that Cloyd signed a dispatch release accepting responsibility for the Airbus. When they arrived on the plane, prosecutors said, Cloyd and Hughes began several steps to complete the operation process. Hughes performed several safety checks and received clearance to input flight directives. The prosecution also heavily stressed Cloyd and Hughes' blood alcohol levels, which were taken nearly three hours after they arrived at the airport and over seven hours after they had their last drink. One state witness even suggested that at the time they arrived on the plane, the pilots may have had blood alcohol levels as high as 0.15.
The defense contended that the order to return the plane to the terminal was issued before the plane was released from the tug. They argued that there was no steering at the time, and therefore the pilots were never in control of the plane. The defense called only one witness, tug operator Franklin Tejeda, who said that he never relinquished control of the plane since there was a steel rod attached to the nose wheel. As long as the rod was attached, Tejeda said, the pilots could not steer the plane. However, the prosecution got him to admit that he only began driving the tug when ordered to do so by the pilots. This admission by Tejada proved fatal for Cloyd and Hughes. On June 8, a six-man jury convicted Cloyd and Hughes of operating an aircraft while intoxicated after only six hours of deliberation. June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ...
In sentencing on July 20, Young called Cloyd and Hughes' behavior "outrageous," especially in light of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He sentenced Cloyd to the maximum sentence of five years in prison and sentenced Hughes to 2.5 years in prison. In addition, both men were fined $5,000 and will be on probation once released, during which they will have to perform community service and not be allowed to fly a plane. Under the circumstances, it is highly unlikely either Cloyd or Hughes will ever fly any type of aircraft again. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ...
The explosion resulting from the crashing of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower. ...
Quotes From Judge Young during sentencing: - The first thing I could think of, Mr. Cloyd and Mr. Hughes, is, "What were you thinking?" Less than a year after 9-11. Less than a year after this nation was changed forever.
- To Cloyd: You're the classic example of a person who gets help when everything goes wrong. Frankly, sir, I have no sympathy and sentence you to five years in prison.
- To Hughes: You're very lucky that one day you will go home to your children. If you didn't stop drinking, you wouldn't be allowed to see them, because you would die.
See also Citing the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, an aviation accident is defined as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person...
External links - Court TV coverage of trial
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