A United Airlines pilot accused of being over the legal blood-alcohol limit was pulled off a flight from London’s Heathrow Airport headed to Chicago, raising questions about how alcohol intake can affect pilots.

Pilot Erwin Vermont Washington was arrested after allegedly failing a breathalyzer test administered after a concerned United employee notified authorities before takeoff.

It’s not yet clear how much alcohol the pilot is accused of consuming.

The position of air traffic controller has generated a lot of interest after being named the top-paying job with the lowest minimum education in a recent Investopedia survey. According to the survey, air traffic controllers receive median annual salaries between $86,000-$142,000 with good benefits.

But it’s far from easy money, and it’s not an occupation that everyone can handle. Air traffic controllers have one of the most stressful jobs out there and can often involve making life or death decisions under extreme pressure.

Investigators are focusing on communication between pilots and air traffic control after a U.S. Coast Guard transport plane and military helicopter collided mid-air Thursday night.

Rescuers continue to search the waters off the coast of San Diego for the nine missing people who were aboard the aircraft.

The clear morning weather and high visibility have made for excellent search conditions.

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their destination by 150 miles have told investigators that they were distracted because they were using their personal laptops.

First Officer Richard Cole was allegedly helping Captain Timothy Cheney understand a new crew scheduling program while they lost track of time, according to a statement from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

So how exactly could something like this happen?

In response to the deadly plane crash in Buffalo and other accidents on regional airlines, the House has approved an aviation safety bill that would beef up pilot training procedures.

If this bill passes the next stage of the legislative process, how much would it really raise the standards for pilots?

Keep reading to find out about other safety changes that may be in store …

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to hit United Airlines and US Airways with multi-million dollar fines for violating safety procedures.

The FAA has proposed a $3.8 million penalty against United for allegedly flying a Boeing 737 on more than 200 trips after violating the carrier’s own maintenance policies.

In April of 2008, the aircraft in question returned to Denver after having to shut down an engine due to low oil pressure warnings.

JetBlue Flight 1781 passengers were forced to make an emergency evacuation upon landing Thursday afternoon after a fire was reported on the left engine.

The flight was en route from Orlando International Airport in Florida to Nassau, the capital city and main entry point to the Bahamas.

This is normally just a fairly standard hour-long flight, but it does pass through the area known as the “Bermuda Triangle.”

The release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the man who was convicted of blowing up a Pan Am plane over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, has prompted outrage and condemnation from U.S. and British officials, even as doubts linger about the legitimacy of the conviction.

Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill released Megrahi on compassionate grounds Thursday and allowed him to fly back home to Libya.

Megrahi, 57, is suffering from end-stage prostate cancer and is said to only have three months to live.