Narrative:

During preflight, I was doing walk around. Captain approachs me and asks me to smell 1ST flight attendant's breath for alcohol. I do this, and smell mouthwash, and reported that I could not smell alcohol. Flight attendant appeared to act normally, no other signs of alcohol usage. Captain directly confronts flight attendant, she denies alcohol usage. En route, flight attendant came up to feed us breakfast. Captain smells alcohol again. I remember that a week previous, a different captain had made mention of the same thing about this same flight attendant. I tell this to the captain. He summons another flight attendant to the cockpit to query her. She says she smells something, but attributes this to a medical condition. Captain now calls flight attendant to flight deck, tells her he wants her off the trip. Either to call in sick, or he'll have her removed. Upon arrival, flight attendant departs for hospital. No further outcome known at this time. It would be helpful to have more guidance as to how to handle sits such as these. This was a very uncomfortable situation for all involved. While certainly no one wants to jeopardize safety of flight, neither do we want to panic or be overly paranoid concerning repercussions involving aforementioned incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT REMOVES CABIN ATTENDANT FROM FLT DUE TO SUSPICION OF ALCOHOL USE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, I WAS DOING WALK AROUND. CAPT APCHS ME AND ASKS ME TO SMELL 1ST FLT ATTENDANT'S BREATH FOR ALCOHOL. I DO THIS, AND SMELL MOUTHWASH, AND RPTED THAT I COULD NOT SMELL ALCOHOL. FLT ATTENDANT APPEARED TO ACT NORMALLY, NO OTHER SIGNS OF ALCOHOL USAGE. CAPT DIRECTLY CONFRONTS FLT ATTENDANT, SHE DENIES ALCOHOL USAGE. ENRTE, FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO FEED US BREAKFAST. CAPT SMELLS ALCOHOL AGAIN. I REMEMBER THAT A WK PREVIOUS, A DIFFERENT CAPT HAD MADE MENTION OF THE SAME THING ABOUT THIS SAME FLT ATTENDANT. I TELL THIS TO THE CAPT. HE SUMMONS ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT TO THE COCKPIT TO QUERY HER. SHE SAYS SHE SMELLS SOMETHING, BUT ATTRIBUTES THIS TO A MEDICAL CONDITION. CAPT NOW CALLS FLT ATTENDANT TO FLT DECK, TELLS HER HE WANTS HER OFF THE TRIP. EITHER TO CALL IN SICK, OR HE'LL HAVE HER REMOVED. UPON ARR, FLT ATTENDANT DEPARTS FOR HOSPITAL. NO FURTHER OUTCOME KNOWN AT THIS TIME. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE MORE GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO HANDLE SITS SUCH AS THESE. THIS WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SIT FOR ALL INVOLVED. WHILE CERTAINLY NO ONE WANTS TO JEOPARDIZE SAFETY OF FLT, NEITHER DO WE WANT TO PANIC OR BE OVERLY PARANOID CONCERNING REPERCUSSIONS INVOLVING AFOREMENTIONED INCIDENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.