Pilot Paid $122 Bar Tab Before Flight

One of two America West pilots charged with being drunk when they tried to fly a jetliner settled a $122 bar tab about six hours before their scheduled flight, two newspapers reported Tuesday, citing a receipt from the bar.

Co-pilot Christopher Hughes paid the tab with a credit card, according to the reports in The Arizona Republic and The Miami Herald. It was not immediately clear who and how many people were drinking on the tab.

James K. Rubin, Hughes' attorney, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that other people were with Hughes and Cloyd that night. He would not comment further.

Cloyd's lawyer, William M. Pearson, didn't immediately return calls seeking comment Tuesday.

According to a receipt from Mr. Moe's in Miami, Hughes bought seven 34-ounce beers, seven 16-ounce beers, a Happy Hour draft beer, one martini and a Western Burger between about 10:49 p.m. and 4:22 a.m. The receipt is part of the court record in the arraignment of Hughes, 41, and pilot Thomas Porter Cloyd, 44.

Manager Dave Bello would not comment Tuesday because the restaurant is under subpoena.

On Tuesday, lawyers for both men requested a Wednesday hearing to ask a judge to delay their Aug. 1 court appearance because the pilots will be in rehabilitation until Aug. 2, Assistant State Attorney Ronald Ramsingh said.

Cloyd and Hughes entered the 28-day program in Arizona days after they were arrested July 1 in Miami, Ramsingh said.

Both pilots had blood-alcohol levels above Florida's legal limit of 0.08 after they were ordered to return their Phoenix-bound plane carrying 124 passengers to the gate at Miami International airport July 1. Their flight had been scheduled to leave at 10:30 a.m.

The pilots have pleaded innocent to a felony count of operating an aircraft under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under the influence. The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked their licenses.

On Monday, prosecutors asked a judge to revoke bond for the two pilots, saying they returned to Arizona without the court's permission.

Assistant State Attorney Ronald Ramsingh said he's not trying to have the pilots jailed in seeking to revoke their $7,000 bonds, but wants them to ask the court's permission before leaving Miami-Dade County. Lawyers for the pilots said they believed their clients had the right to leave the area under their contracts with the bondsman.

Circuit Judge Richard Margolius ordered Cloyd and Hughes to appear at an Aug. 1 hearing. They were not in court Monday.