Final Approach - Northwest Airlines Flight 650

This is the incredible story of the first airline pilot to ever be arrested and sent to prison for flying under the influence. He was fired from his job, had his FAA licenses revoked, stood trial, was convicted, and ultimately served time in a Federal prison. Lyle Prouse, hailing from a WWII housing project in Kansas and from a family plagued by alcoholism, managed to climb the ranks of the United States Marine Corps from private to captain, transitioning from an infantryman to a fighter pilot. He eventually reached the pinnacle of commercial aviation as an airline captain... only to lose it all. However, today he stands as a recovering alcoholic with nearly twenty-two years of sobriety under his belt. This remarkable story chronicles his journey from rock bottom, a place where it seemed like he might never fly again, to a miraculous redemption against all odds.

Following a long and challenging path, Lyle eventually managed to regain his FAA licenses, all the while accepting his termination as a fair and just consequence of his actions. Miraculously, after nearly four years, the President/CEO of his airline personally reinstated him to full flight status, despite the negative publicity and embarrassment surrounding his case. This act was a significant gamble for the President/CEO, risking his own career on a convicted felon and public alcoholic pilot. In another unexpected turn of events, the judge who had presided over Lyle's trial and sentencing reappeared eight years later, becoming a driving force behind Lyle's Presidential pardon, a move he had never supported in all his years on the bench.

Lyle retired as a 747 captain for the same airline that had once shamed him, living a peaceful life with his wife of nearly forty-nine years and their five grandchildren. He remains actively involved in alcohol programs with major airlines and continues to support his Native American community, offering hope and inspiration to those battling alcoholism, regardless of their background or circumstances.

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