MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An American Eagle pilot has been charged with three gross misdemeanors for allegedly failing a blood-alcohol test as he prepared to fly out of the Minneapolis airport in January.

Authorities say airport police smelled alcohol on the breath of the pilot -- Kolbjorn Jarle Kristiansen -- who was arrested on Jan. 4. Officials say he had a preliminary blood alcohol concentration of 0.107. The limit for commercial pilots is 0.04. He was about to operate a flight to New York City.

Kristiansen was charged today with three counts related to attempting to operate an aircraft under the influence of alcohol.

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