Passengers on a long-haul United Airlines flight from San Francisco to London had no idea one of their crew members was secretly drinking vodka mid-flight — until the shocking truth came out in court.
Margit Lake, a 56-year-old flight attendant from California, was found to be more than ten times the legal alcohol limit to perform her duties after she downed several miniature bottles of vodka during the ten-hour journey.
Emergency at Heathrow
When the Boeing 777 touched down at Heathrow on October 17, paramedics were called after Lake was found unwell and showing signs of low blood pressure.
The medical team immediately noticed something wasn’t right — the smell of alcohol lingered on her breath.
A blood test later confirmed their suspicions.
Lake’s alcohol level was a staggering 216 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood — an amount far beyond the UK’s legal limit for flight crew, which is just 20 milligrams.
A Long Career Ends in Disgrace
Lake had spent 26 years working for United Airlines, but her long career came to an abrupt end after the incident.
She resigned shortly afterwards and has since been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings almost every day, hoping to rebuild her life.
In court, she appeared quiet and remorseful, dressed in a simple black cardigan as she admitted to being over the alcohol limit while performing her duties on the aircraft.
The Courtroom Plea
Her lawyer, Ben Lansbury, told Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court that Lake had been struggling personally for some time.
He described her as “isolated” and “estranged from her family,” adding that she had been coping with grief when she turned to alcohol.
“She had the alcohol because she needed to calm down,” Lansbury explained.
“It was something of a shock to her as to what happened. She deeply regrets it.”
Several of Lake’s colleagues from the UK came to show support, sitting quietly at the back of the courtroom as the hearing unfolded.
The Verdict and Sentence
Magistrate Tony Delliston acknowledged the seriousness of the case but said the court would not send Lake to prison. “We are not going to commit this to the crown court.
We can deal with this here,” he told her.
Instead, she received a financial penalty totaling £2,130 — including a £1,461 fine, a £584 victim surcharge, and £85 in court costs.
Seeking Redemption
Though her actions caused alarm, Lake’s steps toward recovery were recognized in court.
Her near-daily attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and visible remorse suggest she’s determined to turn her life around.
For someone who spent over two decades serving passengers safely across the skies, the fall from grace was a painful one.
But as she left court surrounded by supportive colleagues, it seemed clear that Lake’s story is now one of accountability — and a difficult road to redemption.