New Delhi: A pilot operating an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi has reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances in an initial post-flight drug screening, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The development comes after Air India flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, experienced a sudden loss of altitude of around 300 feet, leaving several passengers and crew members injured.
Sources said the captain’s initial drug screening returned a positive result. However, the finding has not yet been treated as conclusive, as further laboratory testing is required to establish whether the result was accurate and to identify the substance involved.
Both pilots of the flight have reportedly been removed from flying duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
The incident is being investigated by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with assistance from aircraft manufacturer Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA).
The investigation is expected to examine several possible factors behind the sudden altitude change, including the aircraft’s systems, cockpit actions and the condition of the flight crew.
The development has also prompted scrutiny of Air India’s safety and crew-monitoring procedures. Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu has summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to discuss the incident and the airline’s response.
A positive initial drug screening does not, by itself, establish that the pilot was impaired while operating the aircraft. Investigators are expected to rely on confirmatory laboratory testing and other evidence before drawing conclusions about the cause of the incident.
Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.