AI pilot fails drug test after altitude scare
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu says the Government is reviewing the incident
We are taking it very seriously. If we feel the present regulations are not up to the mark, we will respond accordingly and make the necessary improvements - Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu
Pilot of the Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, which experienced sudden altitude loss on August 4, injuring at least 17 people, tested positive for drugs in a confirmatory second test, according to sources familiar with the development.
A confirmatory drug test of the pilot-in-command of flight AI 2379 has returned positive for marijuana. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members. At least 17 people — 13 passengers and four members of the cabin crew, according to reports — suffered injuries before the aircraft stabilised and continued to Delhi.
The confirmatory result follows an earlier post-flight screening in which the pilot-in-command had returned a “non-negative” result for psychoactive substances. Both pilots underwent mandatory screening after landing, with the co-pilot’s initial test reportedly not raising concerns. The captain’s preliminary result prompted a confirmatory laboratory examination.
The latest result, however, does not by itself establish that the pilot was impaired while operating the aircraft, and investigators are yet to determine whether, if at all, the test finding had any bearing on the August 4 incident.
The development comes at a critical stage of the probe. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has classified the occurrence as a serious incident and is examining the circumstances surrounding the sudden altitude loss. The aircraft’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been secured for analysis.
Asked about the recent meeting with Air India’s top brass, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the Government is closely reviewing the issue and has sought updates from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). “We are taking it very seriously. If we feel the present regulations are not up to the mark, we will respond accordingly and make the necessary improvements,” he said.
Against this backdrop, senior Air India officials, led by CEO Campbell Wilson, met top officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry in New Delhi on Tuesday. Wilson was accompanied by former aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, now an executive adviser to Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, and Air India’s flight safety head Deepak Joshi, according to sources. The Government side included Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief Vir Vikram Yadav and AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Wilson said there was no “questioning” and that he had provided an update on the status of the investigation.
The meeting assumes significance as the Government has intensified scrutiny of the airline following the incident and the emergence of the drug-test finding.
Reuters reported that the civil aviation ministry had summoned Wilson in connection with the flight’s altitude loss, while Air India and the ministry had not publicly commented on the reported confirmatory result at the time of publication.
The drug-test finding is only one strand of an investigation that is also examining possible technical problems aboard the aircraft.
Sources previously indicated that the flight may have experienced an autopilot disconnect, hydraulic-system failures and other technical anomalies around the time of the altitude loss.
There have also been reports of a flight-control stall warning and indicator switches briefly going off.
The AAIB will have to establish the precise sequence of events and determine whether the reported technical issues, turbulence and loss of altitude were connected.
The incident was initially attributed by the Government and airline to severe turbulence. Subsequent reports of possible aircraft-system problems have widened the scope of the investigation. Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) are expected to assist the AAIB investigation.
