Illegal substance use in the back

So you're the captain. The pax walk up and ask you to turn out the cabin lights (because for some reason you insist they be on during flight......but that's another discussion) and about 10 minutes later, you smell something "funky". *ahem*

What do you do?

-mini

Depends are they smoking said illegal substance?

The hypothetical scenario is exactly as I posted above.

...what do you do?

-mini

Call the destination FBO and get them to go out and get some Tbell for said passengers.

One of these days you'll learn to think outside the bun and the box.

-mikecweb

Ah

-mini

Well, if they're not smoking, I would leave it alone.

You're not getting it or I wasn't clear enough.

As I said...you smell something funky. Now what do you do.....from there......?

I've thought about this one a lot and know what I'd do (job be damned), but I'd like to hear how others would handle it.

-mini

I take it that you're talking about flying a charter. Depends on if you like staying in the charter business. Or better yet, do a better job of screening who you charter to.

(This is why I don't fly charters.)

If you smell it then they are more than likely "indulging".:bandit:

Cloves?

:rawk: Although if you really want repeat customers for your business I would bring them In and Out. So what if they want to smoke alittle pot, as far as I'm concerned they are smoking an expensive cigar. They pay good money for a private jet for a reason, so as long as it doesn't affect my flying duties, I don't care.

-Pop

How about if they leave some drugs or some residue on the airplane and on another trip you are returning from an international location and customs finds it?

I know on boats the Coast Guard can inspect you and during the inspection they will do a swab test to see if drugs have been used on the boat. Does customs inspect airplanes the same way? I do not know since I have not flown out of the country for several years.

found this for you hope it helps .....

Second hand marijuana smoke in a car can cause you to fail the next day' (Nightbyrd). It is possible that second hand [marijuana] smoke will raise someone to the 50 ng/mL level; however, *extreme* exposure is required. For instance, a closed car full of pot smokers and a non-smoker may render the non-smoker positive for both urinalysis and the hair test, provided that they are sealed in the car for a while. The Army did a case study where volunteers were put in a room pumped full of smoke for an hour, five time daily. Subjects started testing positive after the second day. The non-smoker would have to take in virtually as much second hand smoke as a smoker. Non-smokers are safe in a ventilated area, as long as they don't get a hair test. According to Clinton, simply blowing crack smoke on ones hair may cause a positive hair test. Second hand pot smoke doesn't affect the hair test results as much as crack smoke does mainly because exhaled smoke contains no THC. The only pot smoke that contains THC is the smoke that hasn't entered the lungs."


BTW ...I was just generalizing .....but lets hope we were just talking about nicotine or canibus at worse.

There is actually an apparently famous comedian who has a private yet. He likes, or liked, to smoke pot in his plane, and I've heard that as soon as the pilots smelled the smoke, they'd get their masks on. Supposedly they told the FAA, and the gov't wanted to take his plane away, but I'm not sure how successful they were.

Ive done a good bit of work in the Carribean lately, and no customs doesnt even really look at anything in the airplane.

That is the only reason I would be worried, is if I had been flying international. But from my experience, you could pretty much do anything and not get caught. HOWEVER, i was doing a small bit of contract work for someone about a year ago and he told me a story about how he was flying back from XXX location, I think it was actually out of S. America, and when he was going through the airplane after the passengers had deplaned and left, he found a conspicious white sack of a powder in the back of one of the seats. Well, I guess he threw it away and then phoned someone higher who dealt with scheduling or clients. I remember him saying they never flew those people again.

Nothing bad came of him, just a weird, "ummm sir i think you forgot your bag of blow?"

Close the dang flight deck door? What too small--O2 mask.

I put on my mask and divert the plane. As PIC I'm responsible for the airplane and what happens onboard; I will NOT risk my career for a couple guys in the back smoking pot. Full disclosure is a must, as well. After diversion tell the company exactly what happened, and insist on a drug test before returning to duty.*

Last thing you need is customs finding a bag of weed stashed somewhere on the way back into the country. At that point, it's on you.

* Yes, I'm aware that second-hand smoke at that level won't cause a positive drug test. All part of the show to ensure that you don't get tagged with anything.

Number 1, do you allow smoking of any kind on your charter flights? If no, then deal with the issue of smoking (whatever substance). I guess you didn't say in the scenario that is was a charter flight, but someone starting talking about it.

Assuming you do allow smoking in the cabin, if you think they are smoking something illegal, get up and check it out. I wouldn't want to do anythig crazy without trying to confirm. If they have a spoon out smoking meth or crack or even if you think they're puffing on some Mary J, then it's immediately land and have the po-po waiting on them. If I had a Sat-Phone on board or some way to get in touch with my dispatch/boss, I would call them and tell them what's going on and what I am doing and why.

My thoughts:

We do not allow smoking, so a flip of the lights and a look back is important to begin with.

Why?
1) How do I know there isn't a fire in the cabin? It might not be smoking that I smell.
2) I tell every passenger that there's no smoking. So they need to be reminded that's not allowed.

If I can verify that they are smoking, I tell them to stop...if it's something illegal, I declare, have the po-po sent to the airport, then put on the mask and start down. After getting in, I get pulled off of "the line" for drug testing and to get my clothes cleaned. If the company doesn't want to clean the plane, they can send me home.....I'm just not dealing with that crap. The fact that they paid $xx,xxx for the trip doesn't concern me.

-mini

:clap: Good for you!