DGCA Initiates Investigation After Severe Turbulence Hits Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Leaving Around 15 Passengers & Crew, Damaged Cabin

Mumbai: More than a dozen passengers and crew members were injured on Tuesday after an Air India flight operating from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe clear-air turbulence and suffered a sudden loss of altitude after entering the Indian mainland from the eastern coast. The turbulence, which continued for roughly two minutes, required the admission of around 10 passengers and a crew member to hospital and left the aircraft's ceiling damaged, forcing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch an internal probe.

Sudden 300-Foot Altitude Drop During Cruise Over Odisha

The aircraft, an Airbus A320 registered as VT-EXO and operating as flight AI-2379, was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, including six cabin crew. The incident unfolded rapidly at around 9.36am, when the aircraft was cruising over Odisha after entering the Indian mainland, with severe turbulence shaking the airframe for roughly two minutes and causing an abrupt altitude drop of approximately 300 feet during the cruise phase of the flight.

According to eyewitnesses, the sudden drop in altitude threw unbuckled passengers and crew members against the cabin structure, causing visible interior damage. At one spot, the internal ceiling panel was seen torn due to the sudden drop in cabin pressure during the two-minute ordeal. According to sources, around 15 passengers and four cabin crew members sustained injuries due to the incident. In one of the videos from the incident, a passenger could be seen using his t-shirt as an arm sling for temporary support, suggesting that he suffered an injury during the sudden loss of altitude.

Injured Shifted to Hospitals After Safe Landing in Delhi

Following a safe landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 11am, emergency response teams met the aircraft on the tarmac. Roughly 10 passengers and one crew member were subsequently admitted to nearby medical facilities for further treatment and precautionary assessment. While Air India claimed that none of the passengers received any serious injuries, sources revealed that many passengers suffered neck and hand fractures, spinal disc injuries, broken eardrums and other injuries.

Italy-based Viviana, who was travelling on the flight with her family, said that her mother had to be hospitalised after suffering an injury during the incident. "I saw my sister being thrown into the air from her seat. My mother was knocked on the head. My phone was also thrown and I could find it only after we landed. Other passengers behind me were severely injured, one of them was severely bleeding. It feels like I saw death and that nobody would survive it."

Air India Says Safety Remains Top Priority

Air India stated that the aircraft landed safely and ground support teams immediately assisted those affected.

"A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority," an airline spokesperson said.

Some Passengers Consider Legal Action Against Airline

"The flight was cruising as normal and suddenly the flight descended rapidly, throwing us all on our heads. I don't know if it happened due to an air pocket, but the drop was so sharp that we all hit our heads on the ceiling," said another passenger.

A third passenger threatened to initiate legal action against Air India for negligence. "Some people hit the ceiling and then fell to the floor while luggage fell on some of our heads. An infant was thrown about three seats away from the person holding him. I don't think I will be able to travel in an aircraft without being afraid of the horrors of this flight. My brothers and I, who were traveling on this flight, will sue Air India for their negligence," he said.

DGCA Orders Formal Investigation Into Incident

The DGCA also confirmed the incident and announced a formal safety investigation. "The pilot-in-command reported a severe injury to one cabin crew member, injury to another, and minor injuries to a few passengers due to a sudden loss of approximately 300 feet of altitude. The matter is being investigated by DGCA."

The aircraft has been grounded temporarily in Delhi for detailed structural inspections by engineering teams. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders have been secured for detailed examination alongside meteorological reports to determine whether the event was linked to unforecasted clear air turbulence along the flight corridor.

The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the situation. Following the incident, union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, along with aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, visited Fortis Hospital to meet the injured passengers and enquire about their condition, assuring them of all necessary assistance. Simultaneously, senior officials from MoCA also visited Medanta Hospital and said they were coordinating with the hospital authorities and the airline to ensure the best possible medical care and all necessary support to the injured.

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