Pilots under official surveillance for drink, drug problems

New Zealand's aviation watchdog says it has some airline pilots under surveillance for alcohol or drug abuse, but can't say how many, or whether they are still flying.

Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Bill Sommer said late yesterday that the agency's medical unit knew of "a few" Air New Zealand pilots who had reported their own alcohol or drug problems, or been reported by the airline as a legal requirement.

But CAA's medical unit would need to examine its records to determine how many pilots were being watched, and what variations may have been made to their operating licences.

The problems were mainly alcohol related, he said.

Although Mr Sommer said he knew only of Air NZ flight crew brought to the agency's attention, TV3 reported last night that one Pacific Blue pilot was on the CAA watchlist.

Pacific Blue could not be reached for comment last night.

Air NZ, which is furious over criticism from a senior police officer in an internal memo of "what appears to be a drink drive problem" in its ranks, is not saying whether a pilot caught driving while two and a half times over the legal alcohol limit is still flying its passenger aircraft.

When he was stopped by a booze bus in May 2007, it was the fourth time he had been caught drink driving.

Airline spokesman Mark Street said yesterday that this was "a long time ago", and the airline was prevented by employment constraints from disclosing whether the pilot still flew for Air NZ.

But TV3 reported last night that internal police memos it had received under the Official Information Act showed the pilot was one of three employees whose drink-drive transgressions had been reported to Air NZ by the police.

Police at one point raised concerns with Air NZ about the pilot's welfare, as he appeared "depressed and upset" that he was going through a marriage break-up.

Superintendent John Kelly, head of the Waitemata road police, said in a memo to his national office in December that Auckland police had processed four Air NZ staff for drink-drive offences.

These included the pilot, two aircraft mechanics and a flight attendant, who is challenging her dismissal before the Employment Relations Authority.

The authority has heard the case, but has yet to reach a verdict. The woman is understood to have gone overseas.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union secretary Andrew Little said yesterday that police acted outside the law in telling the airline about one of the mechanics, who has since resigned from Air NZ.

The union has complained to the Privacy Commissioner and the Independent Police Complaints Authority about the cases.