New Delhi: The Pilot in Command of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi tested positive for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test following an incident in which the aircraft suddenly lost nearly 300 feet of altitude, according to the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
The incident occurred on August 4 while the aircraft was flying over Odisha. The Airbus A320 was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, along with eight crew members. The sudden altitude change left 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured.
The investigation found that all three hydraulic systems of the aircraft failed while it was cruising at 36,000 feet. The green system failed first, followed within seconds by the blue and yellow systems.
The hydraulic failures resulted in the autopilot disconnecting and triggered a brief stall warning. During the resulting altitude disturbance, the aircraft climbed 372 feet before dropping 292 feet from its assigned altitude. The hydraulic systems recovered within seconds and the flight control surfaces returned to normal operation.
Investigators found no reported adverse weather conditions at the time. The sudden movement caused damage to several parts of the cabin, including overhead bins, ceiling panels and an emergency exit handle. With the seat belt signs switched off, passengers and crew were injured. The aircraft subsequently continued to Delhi and landed safely.
The AAIB said the confirmatory test finding involving the Pilot in Command was a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation take appropriate action on priority.
The cause of the incident has not yet been established. Investigators are analysing data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Digital Flight Data Recorder, while aircraft components and samples are also being examined.
Air India has said it is fully cooperating with the investigation and has introduced voluntary testing covering all its pilots following the incident. The airline reiterated its zero tolerance policy towards breaches involving safety, fitness or regulatory requirements.
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