The pilot wasn’t even aware! It was amongst a passenger’s groceries…
In April 2012, Jouppi was preparing to fly a passenger from Fairbanks to a remote village, Beaver, where alcohol was banned. The passenger had packed beer with other groceries in her luggage. State Police troopers searched Jouppi’s plane before it departed and spotted a six-pack of Budweiser in a shopping bag. This article could go in many communities but I figured this one suits.
What a fucking mess. Great way to shut off all air traffic to that island!
It wouldn’t be just that island. A significant part of Alaska has a ban on alcohol.
Oh man!! So this could threaten air travel for a huge region.
Such bad news. America and the Byzantine bullshit rules about alcohol sales is bizarre.
Also known as just “travel” because we’re talking about places with literally no way in or out except by plane. (Okay, and maybe hiking, dogsled in winter, or something like that. Point is, no roads.) That’s why somebody was apparently going grocery shopping by plane in the first place.
Most of the bans are in Native Alaskan communities who don’t have the resources to deal with alcohol, so they ban it instead. The ability to ban is codified in state law, so the state assists with enforcing the ban. It is the reason why an Alaskan State Police officer conducted the search.