A Japanese pilot who was arrested at Heathrow for being drunk has admitted being more than nine times the legal alcohol limit.
Katsutoshi Jitsukawa, 42, a first officer for Japan Airlines, was arrested on October 28 after failing a breath test.
He was found to have 189mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system – the legal limit for a pilot is 20mg.
The first officer pleaded guilty to exceeding the alcohol limit at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that police were alerted by the driver of a crew bus who smelled alcohol on the pilot.
He had been due to be part of a crew flying a Jal flight to Tokyo but failed a breath test 50 minutes before the departure time.
The Boeing 777 aircraft took off after a 69-minute delay.
Jal issued an apology and pledged to “implement immediate actions to prevent any future occurrence”, adding that “safety remains our utmost priority”.
The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg, compared to 20mg for pilots.
Jitsukawa was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on November 29.