A United Airlines flight attendant, Margit Lake, was found to have consumed a significant amount of vodka, exceeding the legal alcohol limit by more than ten times on a flight from San Francisco to Heathrow. Lake, 56, snuck multiple miniature bottles of vodka onto the ten-hour transatlantic journey, leading to her being hospitalized upon landing in London due to her high blood alcohol content of 216 milligrams per 100 milliliters. Following the incident, Lake, who had a history of low blood pressure, resigned from her 26-year career with United Airlines.
During the court proceedings at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that the legal limit for flight attendants in the UK is 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood. Lake, dressed in a black cardigan, admitted to performing an aviation function while intoxicated. Her defense attorney, Ben Lansbury, explained that Lake was struggling with feelings of isolation, estrangement from her family, and grief, which led her to consume alcohol to calm down. Lansbury mentioned that Lake had been actively attending Alcoholics Anonymous sessions and was remorseful for her actions.
Magistrate Tony Delliston assured Lake that the case would not be escalated to the crown court and that she would not face imprisonment, opting instead for a financial penalty. Lake was fined £1,461, along with a victim surcharge of £584 and court costs of £85.