A United Airlines flight attendant, Margit Lake, was found to have consumed an excessive amount of vodka before a transatlantic flight, registering a blood alcohol level more than ten times the legal limit upon landing in London. Lake, 56, smuggled multiple mini bottles of vodka onto the ten-hour flight from San Francisco to Heathrow on October 17, leading to her hospitalization after the plane landed.
During the court hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, it was disclosed that Lake, who had been with United Airlines for 26 years, resigned from her position following the incident. The legal blood alcohol limit for flight attendants in the UK is 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters, far below the 216 milligrams found in Lake’s blood.
Lake’s defense attorney, Ben Lansbury, explained that she was struggling with feelings of isolation, family estrangement, and grief, which led her to consume alcohol to calm down. Lansbury noted that Lake had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous regularly since the incident and had the support of her colleagues in the UK.
Magistrate Tony Delliston assured Lake that the case would be handled without imprisonment, opting for a financial penalty instead. Lake was fined £1,461, along with a victim surcharge of £584 and court costs of £85 for her actions.
