What do the crew do if they find that the Captain is un-airworthy / drunk? ?

Question

If the captain is running the shebang, what can they do about it? Can Dispatch refuse to sign off?

Answer 1

They assign the pilot either to Aeroflot or Garuda or Air India.

Answer 2

At Manchester, when a long-haul flight deck crew member for BA was intoxicated, the company refused to let them fly, and the passengers, were bussed down to Heathrow, where they departed, albeit a number of hours late.

Answer 3

Most probably the first officer (co-pilot) will refuse to depart if the Captain is drunk or appears to be drunk, he's not fit to fly.

The same will happen if he/she is very tired or distracted by personal affairs.

It's a standard question on job interviews, the clue is you should never depart, no matter what kind of threat the captain is giving you or what his/her status is within the company. Can be difficult, but in the end your job, license and your life are on the line (and the lives of your passengers).

Edit: Rob G. has the more complete answer indeed.

Answer 4

Let's assume I'm the, sober, first officer.  I would try to handle it in such a way where he doesn't get screwed (by ratting him out and him possibly getting fired), nor does the company/passengers/yourself get screwed (by letting him fly).  First, I would confront him about it and try to get him to call out sick.  A smart pilot would get the hint and just call out sick.  The flight will get delayed, but nobody gets hurt or fired, nor would I get the reputation of being the guy who rats people out.  If he/she refuses, then I would keep escalating it until the captain is off the plane.  I wouldn't just walk off the plane because that lets a drunk pilot fly an airplane.  Only as a last resort, would I call the chief pilot.  That's a call I would hate to have to make, because you would probably be ending someone's career.  Some people might call out sick, on behalf of the captain.

Answer 5

i'd walk out of the aircraft.  some of these questions are soooooooo easy huh?

Answer 6

usually what the drunk pilots does is to sniff oxygen from crew oxygen masks, and chew lots of mint, that's why it is very seldom that other crew or pax notice them. However anybody can report them either to airline administration or local civil aviation authority.