A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested Wednesday at a Georgia airport just before takeoff and accused of driving under the influence, according to airline officials and authorities in Georgia.

Accusations of being under the influence led to the arrest of Southwest Airlines pilot David Allsop. The arrest caused a 5-hour delay in Southwest flight 3772, necessitating the transfer of passengers to alternative flights.

A Southwest Airlines flight was delayed multiple hours this week after a pilot was reportedly arrested and charged with DUI before takeoff in Georgia.

The pilot was reportedly removed from the cockpit prior to takeoff at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

The pilot, a 52-year-old from Bedford who has been a licensed pilot since 2008, was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after he allegedly drunkenly reported to a flight assignment at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah, Georgia. Authorities said that the pilot reeked of alcohol when he showed up in the cockpit.

A TSA officer flagged local authorities after noticing the pilot appeared intoxicated before he boarded a Southwest plane in Savannah, Georgia.

Passengers had boarded the Southwest Airlines flight from Savannah, Georgia, to Chicago on Wednesday when police took the pilot away in handcuffs. An incident report says police at the Savannah airport tracked down the 52-year-old pilot after someone reported he appeared to be under the influence during crew check-in.

A Southwest Airlines pilot was allegedly removed from the cockpit of a plane and arrested for driving under the influence ahead of a flight from Savannah, Ga., to Chicago, according to a CBS News report.