Pilot Sentenced for Flying Under the Influence

Washington state resident and commercial pilot Paul Roessler was sentenced to four months home confinement on November 14 in U.S. District Court in Spokane, Wash., for being under the influence of alcohol while flying a Piper Seneca for a Seattle-based cargo operator. He was also sentenced to 240 hours of community service, two years probation, ordered to attend substance-abuse evaluation and counseling and pay a $1,500 fine. After attempting to line up for landing on the wrong runway at Spokane Airport in April last year, Roessler was given a breathalyzer test on the ground that showed his blood alcohol content to be more than twice the legal limit.