Case of Sunwing pilot accused of being impaired in cockpit put over

CALGARY — The case of a Sunwing Airlines pilot charged with being impaired in the cockpit has been put over until Jan. 25.

Miroslav Gronych, a 37-year-old Slovakian national, is accused of having care and control of an aircraft while impaired and with having a blood-alcohol level above .08.

Gronych did not appear in Calgary court Thursday, but the matter was addressed by a lawyer on his behalf. His legal counsel did not respond to requests for comment.

The Sunwing flight was scheduled to leave Calgary early Saturday with stops in Regina and Winnipeg before continuing on to Cancun, Mexico. Police allege Gronych, the captain, was found slumped over in his seat and then escorted off the plane.

Gronych was released on $1,000 bail and was ordered to turn in his passport. He was also prohibited from flying a plane in Canada while on bail.

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The allegations against Gronych have not been tested in court.

In a letter to passenger airlines, Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he was very concerned by the incident. Airlines have until Feb. 15 to confirm their measures to ensure flight crew members are fit to fly, and procedures are strictly enforced, he wrote.

“The incident in Calgary reminds us all of the need to ensure that protocols are up to date and that they are being implemented with all the required resources, including measures designed to confirm pilots’ fitness to fly,” he wrote.

“While standard protocols and quick crew action did address the recent incident, we all collectively have a responsibility to make sure our systems are robust enough to prevent such incidents in the future.”

Garneau also said department officials are putting together a workshop in the early spring “to bring companies, unions and medical experts together to consider further steps necessary to enhance aviation safety.”

Transport Canada says Canada’s largest passenger airlines have safety management systems in place to help them identify risks before they become bigger problems to ensure that safety is part of their everyday culture. That includes having proper procedures in place to ensure pilots are competent and fit to fly.

The department has said it is reviewing Sunwing’s protocols to ensure the airline’s handling of Saturday’s incident complied with its safety management system and Canadian regulations.

It has also said it will not hesitate to take enforcement action if necessary, including issuing fines and revoking licences if appropriate.

Under Canadian Aviation Regulations, members of a flight crew are prohibited from working within eight hours of consuming alcohol or while under the influence of alcohol. It is up to each airline to ensure those regulations are followed.

Sunwing has said it has a zero tolerance policy on crew members consuming alcohol within 12 hours of going on duty.

The company said it also trains all employees to look for and report any unusual behaviour.

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

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