Pilots who crashed new private jet both accused of flying drunk

Two pilots climbed into a brand new private jet with alcohol in their system, according to prosecutors. They say the men "had flown the aircraft while drunk." The jet crashed. It's a miracle nobody on the ground was killed, and the only reason we're not writing about a mass casualty event is sheer luck.

This is where personal responsibility stops being an abstraction. Flying drunk is a choice. No one forced these men into the cockpit. They had a duty to their passengers, their employer, and every stranger underneath their flight path to be sober and sharp. Instead, they allegedly treated a multimillion dollar piece of machinery like a bar crawl with wings. The FAA has strict rules for exactly this reason, and the justice system should come down hard on anyone who breaks them.

We're not going to pretend this story justifies a new round of federal micromanaging. The rules already exist. The problem is individuals who think they don't apply. The cockpit is no place for excuses. If you can't fly sober, don't fly. The rest of us have a right to expect that the person in charge up there isn't impaired. Hold these pilots accountable, and let every other pilot hear that message loud and clear.