British Airways Pilot Fired For Snorting A Line Of Cocaine Off Of A Topless Woman The Night Before Flight

Photo: Daniel Slim / AFP (Getty Images)

A British Airways pilot was fired and will likely never fly a commercial airliner again after he attempted to work a 12-hour flight after a night of hard partying where he used cocaine. The pilot was caught after he bragged about his night out to a flight attendant via text message. The attendant then reported the incident to Britain’s flag carrier. British Airways immediately suspended the pilot and canceled the intercontinental flight.

EV Racing In Italy | Jalopnik Visits

Mike Beaton, a first officer, was scheduled to co-pilot a British Airways flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to London four weeks ago. Beaton had the day before the flight off and spent the night out in South Africa’s largest city. The married man recounted the debaucherous events to a flight attendant, claiming that he met a Welsh woman and a Spanish woman in a nightclub along with two local men. The Sun published the sent messages:

“We all walk (stagger) back up to the hotel bar for ‘one last one before bed.’ Welsh and one of these guys is getting on very well, but she’s told him that I’m her boyfriend. Couple of drinks in the bar, bit of snogging, and then we’re somehow all on our way to this dude’s flat.”

Beaton would go on to explain that one of the locals pulled out a tray with lines of cocaine. He concludes his wild anecdote, “So then there’s a debate about whose chest is the best to do a bump off. That’s the story of how I ended up snorting coke off a girl’s tits in Joburg.”

British Airways suspended Beaton and canceled the Johannesburg-to-London flight as it no longer had a first officer. The airline flew Beaton back to London-Heathrow Airport the next day, where he was tested for drugs.

The British flag carrier confirmed that he tested positive, partially verifying his story, and fired him. British Airways also relayed its information to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority, meaning that Beaton wouldn’t be licensed to fly until he’s medically cleared and completes a rehab program.