Pilot Mike Beaton sacked by British Airways and banned from flying after cocaine binge before flight | UK News
A British Airways pilot has been sacked after reports he snorted cocaine off a topless woman before trying to fly a passenger plane back to London.
Married pilot Mike Beaton boasted about his antics to a stewardess who raised the alarm, according to The Sun newspaper.
The father of one from Devon had been due to fly from Johannesburg, South Africa to London.
He was instead flown to Heathrow as a passenger the next day where he tested positive for drug use, the paper reported.
In a statement to Sky News, BA confirmed the pilot is no longer employed by the airline.
“Safety is always our top priority. The matter was referred to the CAA [Civil Aviation Authority] and this individual no longer works for us,” BA said.
The airline said the plane from Johannesburg was delayed overnight while a replacement first officer was found to operate the flight.
Pilot admitted antics in texts
The Sun reported the drug-fuelled incident occurred during one of Mr Beaton’s nights off in Johannesburg.
In texts to his stewardess colleague, the disgraced pilot described partying with two local men, a female Welsh holidaymaker and a young Spanish woman.
He said the group met at a nightclub before heading back to one of the men’s flats where the Class A drugs were apparently produced.
“I’ve lost my shirt somewhere and one of the local lads produces a plate with a few lines of coke,” one of the text messages said, according to The Sun.
“So then there’s a debate about whose chest is the best to do a bump off.”
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The Civil Aviation Authority has withdrawn Mr Beaton’s medical certificate, banning him from flying.
“An airline must immediately inform us if a UK pilot has misused drink or drugs boarding, or being on board, an aircraft,” a CAA spokesperson told Sky News.
“In these cases we would immediately suspend the pilot’s medical which means they cannot fly.
“In most cases the pilot would have an assessment with an expert medical team and if they wished to return to flying then a comprehensive rehabilitation programme would be put in place,” the spokesperson said.
“At the end of that process the medical would only be reinstated if we were completely satisfied.”
The Sun said the pilot’s wife has declined to comment.
