Air India Phuket-Delhi pilot tests positive for marijuana; AAIB probes 300-ft altitude drop

The pilot-in-command of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi has tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory laboratory test, sources told India Today TV on Tuesday. The test comes days after the aircraft suddenly lost around 300 feet in altitude during cruise.

The August 4 incident involved Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 registered as VT-EXO. Both pilots underwent mandatory psychoactive substance screening after the incident.

The pilot-in-command's initial test required further confirmation, following which his sample was sent to a designated laboratory. The confirmatory test has now returned positive for marijuana, sources said.

Both pilots have already been taken off the flying roster pending the investigation.

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20 PASSENGERS, FOUR CREW INJURED

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Ministry said the aircraft experienced a "sudden altitude variation of approximately 300 feet during cruise" on August 4. The aircraft later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.

The ministry said injuries were reported to 20 passengers and four cabin crew members. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, including two pilots and six cabin crew.

AAIB PROBE UNDERWAY

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken up the investigation based on information received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the nature of the occurrence.

The ministry said the requisite notifications had been made to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and concerned states.

France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA), along with technical representatives from Airbus, is providing technical assistance to the AAIB.

The assistance includes technical information and design documentation under the applicable ICAO framework.

The AAIB is examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence. This includes the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, operational and maintenance records, medical information and interviews.

AAIB WARNS AGAINST EARLY CONCLUSIONS

The ministry stressed that the investigation is still underway and said no conclusion about the cause of the incident should be drawn from any isolated piece of information.

"The investigation is independent, evidence-based and comprehensive, and no inference regarding the cause of the occurrence should be drawn from any isolated piece of information while the investigation is in progress," the ministry said.

It also said some records, statements, medical information and other material collected during the probe are protected and confidential.

The AAIB has requested the media and public to respect the investigation process and refrain from drawing conclusions based on incomplete, unverified or selectively available information.

The bureau will issue its preliminary findings within the stipulated timeframe under applicable provisions and ICAO protocols. Further information will be released at the appropriate stage of the investigation.

"The AAIB remains committed to an independent, transparent and professional investigation, with aviation safety as its overriding objective," the ministry said.