Air India has terminated with immediate effect the employment of the pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight involved in the August 4 altitude-loss incident, after a confirmatory drug test returned positive for a psychoactive substance. According to sources cited in reports, the substance was marijuana.
The action came after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report on Friday. The report flagged the pilot's non-negative confirmatory test as a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action to prevent the abuse of psychoactive substances
.Air India said safety remains its highest priority and that it follows a zero-tolerance approach to violations of safety, fitness and regulatory requirements. The airline said the pilot's employment had been terminated with immediate effect.
What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?
Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 operating from Phuket to Delhi, was cruising at 36,000 feet on August 4 when the aircraft's flight-control system detected a loss of hydraulic pressure.According to the AAIB preliminary report, the green hydraulic system was lost first. Around four seconds later, the blue and yellow systems were also detected as having failed. The autopilot then disengaged and a stall warning sounded briefly.The aircraft subsequently experienced an altitude upset. It initially climbed about 372 feet before dropping 292 feet from its assigned cruising level of FL360. The hydraulic systems recovered within seconds, allowing the flight controls to return to normal.The incident caused injuries to 20 passengers and four cabin crew members. The aircraft had 137 passengers and eight crew members on board. The cabin also sustained damage, including to ceiling panels, overhead bins and handrails.
AAIB has not linked drug use to the altitude loss
Importantly, the preliminary investigation has not established that the pilot's positive drug test caused or contributed to the aircraft's altitude loss.The AAIB report continues to examine the technical aspects of the incident, including whether all three hydraulic systems actually failed or whether the indications could have resulted from erroneous signals. Airbus and France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) are assisting the investigation.Investigators have collected hydraulic components, aircraft samples, maintenance records, flight-data recorder information and cockpit voice-recorder data for further analysis. The final cause is expected to be addressed in the final investigation report.
Air India expands pilot drug testing
Following the incident, Air India began voluntary testing of 100% of its pilots, going beyond the existing regulatory requirement. The airline has reiterated that it will take appropriate action when safety or regulatory violations are established.The DGCA is also considering changes to the existing testing framework. Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu has said the government is looking at expanding random drug testing from the current requirement covering 10% of pilots annually to potentially testing all pilots once a year.The AAIB investigation into the August 4 incident remains underway. Its preliminary report does not constitute a final determination of the cause.MP/Chhattisgarh relevance: No direct Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh connection has been identified, so no regional angle has been added.
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