The co-pilot of Japan Airlines admits to have exceeded the limit of alcohol almost 10 times

LONDON – A co-pilot of Japan Airlines arrested after failing a breath test, shortly before a London-Tokyo flight, pleaded guilty Thursday to nearly 10 times the legal limit for alcohol.

The London Metropolitan Police said that Katsutoshi Jitsukawa had appeared in Uxbridge District Court, in West London, and admitted to having exceeded the alcohol limit.

The airline said the co-pilot had been arrested Sunday at Heathrow airport for violating British aeronautics legislation. The driver of a bus bus to Heathrow smelled alcohol in Jitsukawa and reported it to the police, announced the Japanese public television NHK.

Tests revealed that the first 42-year-old officer had 189 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in his system, nearly 10 times the 20 milligram limit set for a pilot. The limit for drivers in Britain is 80 milligrams.

Jitsukawa acknowledged that he had drunk about two bottles of wine and a pitcher of beer the night before, NHK said.

He was sentenced to prison on 29 November.

JAL stated that the flight was delayed by more than one hour and was to be operated by the remaining two pilots. He apologized Thursday for the incident.

The apology occurred one day after another major Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, for delaying five domestic flights after the pilot became ill due to heavy alcohol consumption the night before.