Sunwing Pilot Arrested for Being Intoxicated

Sunwing travellers heading to Mexico for a post-holiday season getaway had to wait a little longer than expected to start their complimentary Sunwing champagne service. That’s because pilot Miroslav Gronych was found intoxicated and passed out in the cockpit by the flight’s co-pilot who reportedly notified the police of his colleague’s condition.

Calgary police arrived on scene and arrested Gronych, who was charged with having care and control of an aircraft while being impaired and having care and control of an aircraft while having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of over .08.

Allegedly Gronych, a Slovakian national in Canada on a work permit, had a BAC of more than 3 times the legal limit.

The flight, WG595 was headed for Cancun, Mexico, with stops planned in Regina and Winnipeg. There were 99 passengers on board as well a handful of crew members. Eventually, a replacement pilot was instated on the flight, which landed in Cancun several hours after scheduled.

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