Pilot cleared: tests found heavy dieting had caused his breath to smell like drink

[babylonsister]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6535517.stm

Diet clears drinking-arrest pilot
Virgin 747
The flight was delayed as a substitute pilot was found
A pilot arrested on suspicion of being over the alcohol limit has been cleared after tests found heavy dieting had caused his breath to smell like drink.

The Virgin Atlantic employee - held at Heathrow on 31 March before a flight to New York - had failed a breathalyser.

But samples taken from the 47-year-old prove his blood-alcohol level was consistent with a non-drinker.

Scientists say low-carbohydrate diets can produce acetone in the body, which may fool breath test equipment.

The long-serving pilot was said to have been on a heavy diet for a long period.

Acetone is a substance produced by the body as it tries to make up the glucose absent from low-carbohydrate diets.

Wayne Jones, a professor in experimental alcohol research at the University of Linkoping in Sweden, told the BBC breathalysers can sometimes fail to distinguish acetone from drink.

"Then there's a risk you get a false positive reading," he said.

more...

[kestrel91316]

1. Ketosis. Probably not a great idea to be starving himself into

ketosis, but whatever floats his boat............

[Skittles]

2. ugh, Atkins breath is the worst

:puke:

[sam sarrha]

3. yea.. he has been dead a while... bad as it gets