Pilot won't be charged after arrest on suspicion he was drinking

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Midwest Airlines pilot arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after a security official smelled alcohol on him won't be charged with any crime.

Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says authorities determined there wasn't enough evidence to support charges that the pilot was drinking before operating an aircraft.

Hogan said Tuesday that the case was closed.

The pilot was arrested Nov. 12 in the cockpit of a plane as takeoff preparations were under way. He was released about three hours later.

Midwest Airlines spokesman Michael Brophy says the pilot's blood alcohol level came in below the airline's limit of 0.02 percent for pilots. For comparison, the legal limit for driving in Minnesota is four times as high.

The pilot's attorney, Arthur R. Martinez, said his client hadn't broken any rules.

Brophy did not immediately return a message seeking comment after it became clear that the pilot would not face charges. The pilot had been grounded since his arrest.