On November 11, Dan Papst had some drinks while aboard a US Airways flight. When he de-planed, he swung by a convenience store and bought beer. Soon after, he was involved in a fatal drunk driving accident, which killed five members of one family as well as Papst, himself. Tests revealed Papst had a BAC four times the state’s legal limit for driving.
After an investigation revealed the airline did not have a liquor license, New Mexico’s Regulation and Licensing Department ordered the airline to stop serving alcohol on flights to or from the state. According to Ed Lopez, superintendent of the Department, the lack of a license means the airline is engaging in bootlegging. The airline has about two weeks to notify state regulators that it has stopped serving alcohol, at which point it may apply for a liquor license. In the meantime, grape juice is the hardest thing US Airways is going to be serving.