Two more Air India pilots fail drug test after Phuket flight mid-air incident: Report

Two more Air India pilots tested non-negative for psychoactive substances in drug screening conducted on around 350 pilots, people familiar with the matter told the Hindustan Times on Monday, August 17.

The report came after Air India pilots were mandated to undergo drug screening. The mandate was issued following the Phuket-New Delhi flight incident in early August.

The captain involved in the serious mid-air incident had reportedly tested positive for marijuana.

The two latest non-negative results are from the screening programme that has been underway across the group, sources told HT. A non-negative screening result does not by itself constitute a confirmed positive result, and further testing and assessment may be required under the applicable aviation rules.

Phuket flight fiasco: What we know so far:

An Air India Airbus A320 suddenly dropped about 300 feet this month, injuring 24 people on board, after the aircraft registered a loss of hydraulic pressure that briefly left key flight controls unresponsive, according to a preliminary Airbus analysis reviewed by Reuters.

The incident on the Air India flight AI2379 took place shortly after it took off on August 4 from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi while carrying 137 passengers, including three infants and eight crew members. The aircraft later stabilised and landed safely in New Delhi, officials said.

The incident came under intense scrutiny after local media reported that the captain may have tested positive for marijuana in a follow-up drug screening.

According to PTI, the flight's pilot-in-command, whose name has not been released by the airline, tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test. The pilot had initially tested positive for a psychoactive substance, with the confirmatory test subsequently identifying marijuana, sources were quoted as saying.

Days after the incident, Air India and Air India Express will begin mandatory psychoactive substance testing of all their pilots on Thursday.

The two Tata Group-owned airlines together have more than 5,000 pilots. The comprehensive screening will cover substances and medications prohibited under prevailing aviation regulations, the airlines said in an internal communication to pilots, according to PTI.

According to the report, tests will be conducted alongside training sessions at Air India's Gurugram academy, after flights at briefing centres and airline offices, or at locations designated by pilots' home bases, according to the memo.

Meanwhile, the incident is being investigated as aviation authorities and airlines face heightened scrutiny over pilot fitness and compliance with rules governing psychoactive substances.

‘Air India A320 briefly lost key flight controls’

Airbus' initial analysis showed the plane registered losses in all three hydraulic systems, which use pressurised fluid to power flight controls and other equipment, in quick succession, according to Reuters.

For about four seconds, the pilots were unable to use the elevators and ailerons, movable parts on the wings and tail that control whether the plane points up or down and banks left or right.

During that time, the aircraft pitched upward, Airbus said in a communication responding to an Air India request for an assessment.

The first officer applied a full nose-down input, but there was "no direct response" from the flight-control surfaces before the hydraulic systems recovered within seconds.

The assessment did not establish what caused the loss of hydraulic pressure.

Airbus asked Air India to run tests on the aircraft's hydraulic systems and the pressure sensors and switches that monitor them. It also asked for some sensors to be removed for inspection, and said further checks of the wiring might be needed.

Airbus also found the aircraft experienced forces above specified limits during the sudden altitude change. It asked Air India to inspect the plane for possible structural damage caused by the abrupt movement.