Mechanic caught repairing planes while drunk at Maastricht airport

A mechanic was arrested at Maastricht Aachen Airport after being caught working on airplanes while drunk. The mechanic, a 40-year-old from Russia, was fined 2,300 euros, the Koninklijke Marechaussee said on Facebook.

The Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for border security including at airports, went to check up on the mechanic while he was working on a plane. The officers noticed that he smelled of alcohol, and asked him to do a breathalyzer test. The mechanic was above the legal limit of alcohol consumption and was arrested.

After consultation with the aviation police and Public Prosecutor, it was decided to offer the mechanic a settlement of a 2,300 euros fine. The mechanic accepted this settlement and paid the fine.

Last month a commercial flight departing from Schiphol was canceled due to a drunk co-pilot. The 51-year-old man was detained at the airport and issued a spot fine of 3,400 euros after breath tests showed an alcohol content three times higher than the legal limit for flight crews.