A British Airway cabin crew member was found n@ked and high on drugs onboard a flight.
On a flight from California to London, Haden Pentecost, 41, from Basingstoke, was found agitated, sweating and babbling after he failed to help with any pre-flight safety checks.
Flight staff were first aware something was wrong when he complained of stomach cramps. He told his co-workers that he needed to change his clothes and then locked himself in the toilet.
Crew members were left startled when he opened the door n@ked, without realising his clothes were no longer on. A female colleague had to help him get dressed before she moved him to a free seat.
Pentecost appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, August 22, where he pleaded guilty to performing an aviation function while impaired by drugs. The flight attendant was spoken to by the captain before a health professional was called for, magistrates were told.
He had dilated pupils, a high heart rate, and had to be checked every 20 minutes until the plane arrived at Heathrow – where paramedics took him to hospital. A blood test later revealed Pentecost had methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system, the court heard.
He has since been sacked by British Airways, and lives with his husband, the court was told. He was granted to bail to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court at a later date.
It comes after a British Airways pilot was suspended after he allegedly left the cockpit door open. The captain was flying from Heathrow Airport to New York JFK and allegedly wanted his family – who were on board the flight – to see him operating controls.
A source told The Sun: “Crew and passengers immediately noticed the cockpit door was open and wanted to know what was happening. It made passengers incredibly uneasy. The door was wide open for a significant time — enough for people to worry and comment. BA colleagues were so alarmed that the pilot was reported in the US and bosses had to suspend him.”
The Civil Aviation Authority launched an urgent investigation into the security breach. Due to his suspension, the flight that was due to land in London on August 8 was cancelled.
