India
oi-Ashish Rana
The pilot of Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi has reportedly tested positive for drugs. It is the same flight that lost control around 300 feet of altitude in air resulted in huge turbulence. This development has come after investigation on what caused the reason on turbulence in flight AI2379.
Following a 300-ft altitude loss and turbulence on Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi on August 4th, the pilot reportedly tested positive for drugs, though the AAIB investigation is examining all potential causes.
Pilot’s Drug Test Under Investigation
CNN-News18 quoted source that both the pilots went for mandatory psychoactive substance screening after the incident. The initial test result was ‘not negative’ so the sample were sent to confirmatory laboratory testing.
According to the report, the laboratory test also confirmed positive. However, this doesn’t confirm if the drug use has any role in aircraft’s loss of altitude. Now investigators will find other evidence from the flight also with this test result.
What Happened On Air India AI2379?
The incident occurred on 4 August when an Airbus A320, registered as VT-EXO, was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants with eight crew members faced a huge turbulence.
Sources also quoted in the report that the aircraft also had several technical problems during the flight. Even the autopilot reportedly disconnected that forced co-pilot took the manual control. Then a flight-control stall message appeared.
Even many indicator switches reportedly went off for time, then the aircraft also faced turbulence and other technical issues. However, aircraft somehow balanced and made a safe landing in Delhi. Few passengers and cabin crew members faced injuries during the incident.
AAIB Probing 300-Ft Altitude Loss
This aircraft incident has been taken as a ‘serious incident’ and being investigated by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Now the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorded have been secured for investigation.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has summoned Air India’s outgoing CEO and Accountable Manager Campbell Wilson for the incident. Airbus is also sending specialists for investigation assistance, while France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) will also support the investigation.
The final investigation result will tell whether this altitude loss was technical problems, turbulence, crew actions or negligence.
