Air India pilot smoked marijuana, failed 2 drug tests after 300ft plunge: Report
Captain was out of his seat as jet plunged; Experts also probe possible hydraulic failure
Dubai: The captain of an Air India flight that suddenly plunged 300 feet and injured 24 people has failed a second drug test, with the latest screening reportedly confirming marijuana use, NDTV reported on Tuesday.
But investigators are also examining potentially serious technical problems aboard the Airbus A320neo, including indications involving all three of the aircraft’s independent hydraulic systems.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has cautioned against drawing conclusions about the cause of the incident from any single piece of evidence.
Air India flight AI-2379, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, suddenly lost around 300 feet during cruise after a stall warning.
At least 20 passengers and four crew members were injured, including two crew members who suffered spinal injuries around the neck and tailbone, according to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
Captain was out of his seat
An internal Air India Flight Safety report accessed by NDTV provides a dramatic account of the seconds before the plunge.
The captain was reportedly standing behind the first officer’s seat discussing the aircraft’s air-conditioning system when multiple warnings sounded, the autopilot disengaged and the aircraft’s nose pitched up.
The first officer, who was flying the aircraft, responded to the stall warning by pushing the nose down.
The manoeuvre caused a sharp negative-G event, briefly sending the captain, first officer and loose objects in the cockpit floating upwards.
The captain described trying to steady the first officer while he himself was being thrown around the cockpit, according to the report.
He eventually returned to his seat, called “I have controls” and took over as the aircraft descended.
The jet lost a maximum of around 300 feet before recovering.
Pilot reportedly fails two tests
Both pilots underwent mandatory post-flight screening for psychoactive substances following the incident.
The first officer tested clear, but the captain failed the initial screening and subsequently failed a second test, sources told NDTV.
The second test reportedly confirmed marijuana use.
Both pilots have been taken off flying duties pending the investigation.
However, there is no official finding that drug use caused or contributed to the incident.
Hydraulic systems under scrutiny
Investigators are simultaneously examining evidence pointing to potentially significant aircraft-system problems.
Engineering logs showed low-pressure indications involving the aircraft’s Green hydraulic system, followed by indications involving the Blue and Yellow systems and eventually all three systems, NDTV reported.
The A320 has three independent hydraulic systems designed to provide redundancy.
The aircraft also recorded an autopilot disengagement and left/right elevator fault indication, raising questions over whether its pitch control may have been affected.
A transient hydraulic caution was later cleared through the aircraft’s reset procedure, while other cockpit warnings were assessed by the crew.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Delhi.
The DGCA has classified the episode as a serious incident, while the AAIB is investigating with technical assistance from Airbus and France’s BEA.
“AAIB is presently engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidences,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said.
It stressed that “no inference regarding the cause of the occurrence should be drawn from any isolated piece of information while the investigation is in progress.”
Air India’s outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson met senior ministry officials on Tuesday, with Naidu saying aviation safety remained the government’s “topmost priority”.
