'Drunk' airline pilots arrested on verge of take-off

A US jetliner was preparing for takeoff from Miami with 124 passengers on board when officials called it back to the terminal and arrested both pilots for allegedly being drunk in the cockpit.

Airport security screeners said they noticed a whiff of alcohol on two America West pilots when they got into a dispute over cups of coffee they wanted to bring through a checkpoint.

The screeners at Miami International Airport alerted officials who called police. But by the time officers arrived, the plane had already left the gate and was headed for takeoff.

The flight to Phoenix, Arizona, was called back to the terminal and the pilots were given a cursory sobriety test, said Detective Juan DelCastillo.

Breath tests revealed both pilots had blood-alcohol levels above .08, Florida’s legal limit for operating machinery.

Pilot Thomas Cloyd, 44, and co-pilot Christopher Hughes, 40, were both charged with operating an aircraft under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

The pilots have been suspended with pay pending an investigation by the airline, said Patty Nowack, an America West spokeswoman.

‘‘We are indeed conducting an investigation,’’ Nowack said. ‘‘If these pilots did have alcohol in their system, they will be terminated.’’