A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested Wednesday after being removed from the cockpit at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia on suspicion of drunkenness.

David Paul Allsop smelled of alcohol as he boarded Southwest Flight 3772, a source familiar with the incident told CBS News.

Passenger Robert Newmarch told WTOC-TV that Mr. Allsop got as far as the cockpit before being removed by airport police.

Mr. Allsop, 52, was arrested by airport police and, according to Chatham County Jail records, charged with driving under the influence. His bond was set at $3,500.

He has since been removed from duty, Southwest told multiple outlets.

Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, people with safety-sensitive jobs are removed from their duties if they register a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or higher, just half the amount required for a DUI charge involving a car.

Pilots are also required to have stopped drinking at least eight hours before a flight under the “bottle to throttle” rule. If caught flying drunk, a pilot can lose his license and face federal criminal charges.

Flight 3772 ended up taking off from Savannah for Chicago Midway International Airport at 11:06 a.m., nearly five hours later than scheduled.

“Customers were accommodated on other flights and we apologize for the disruption to their travel plans. There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers,” Southwest said in a statement to multiple outlets.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.