Airport police officers removed a pilot from the cockpit of a flight departing Buffalo on Wednesday morning and conducted a test that showed his blood alcohol content was more than four times the federal limit for pilots.
The pilot was taken into custody by the police at the Buffalo airport and released to the security personnel at the airport, according to the transportation authority.
A spokeswoman for the transportation authority said that the pilot had not been arrested by the airport police but that he could face federal charges.
The Transportation Security Administration officer noticed that he may have been impaired when he went through the security screening for the flight.
The statement said that the pilot made it into the cockpit. He had a blood alcohol content of 0.17 and was given a portable breathalyzer test.
If a pilot has a blood alcohol content of 0.04 or higher in the last eight hours, they can't fly. In New York State, a blood alcohol content of 0.08 is the threshold for a charge of driving while intoxicated.
The crew member involved has been removed from his duties and the airline has a very strict alcohol policy.
The airport authority listed several numbers under Mr. Clifton's name, but he could not be reached.
The flight he was scheduled to pilot took off more than four hours late. The aircraft was listed as an A320, which seats 140 to 170 passengers.
An F.A.A. spokeswoman said the agency was investigating allegations that an airline pilot tried to report for duty while under the influence of alcohol.
It is unusual to see a flight delayed because of a pilot. In the past few months, most of the flight delays and cancelations have been caused by unruly passengers.
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