Newport pilot pleads not guilty to flying Alaska Airlines plane while drunk

A former Alaska Airlines pilot from Newport Beach pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal charge accusing him of operating a jet full of passengers while under the influence of alcohol.

David Hans Arntson, 60, was arrested in January, appeared in court in Los Angeles and was released on $25,000 bond. His case has been transferred to federal court in Santa Ana, where he is scheduled to appear in March, according to court documents.

If convicted, Arntson could face up to 15 years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors allege that Arntson had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.134% and 0.142% in random breath tests conducted 15 minutes apart inside a restroom at John Wayne Airport in June 2014,according to an affidavit by an investigator with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s office of inspector general.

Arntson’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Arntson is being prosecuted under federal law, which considers commercial airline pilots intoxicated if their blood-alcohol concentration is 0.10% or greater. The Federal Aviation Administration has a blood-alcohol limit of 0.04%.

On June 20, 2014, Arntson piloted an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Portland, Ore., and a flight from Portland to John Wayne, according to the affidavit.

A technician who tests blood-alcohol levels was waiting for him when the plane approached the gate. Arntson was selected randomly for the test, the affidavit states.

Arntson’s co-pilot told federal investigators that when Arntson saw the drug tester waiting at the gate, he said, “I bet it’s for me.”

However, Arntson told investigators that he didn’t understand why he tested positive since he hadn’t consumed any alcohol that day. Arntson said he ordered a beer with dinner the night before the flight from San Diego but took only a few sips.

He said a blood test he had conducted the following morning showed he had no alcohol in his body, according to the affidavit.

Crew members on the plane told investigators that they did not suspect Arntson had been drinking and did not smell alcohol on him in flight.

Arntson, who had worked for Alaska Airlines since 1982, was removed from “safety-sensitive duties” the day of the initial tests, accordingto the airline. He later retired from the airline because of medical issues.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.