The investigation into the turbulent event on Air India flight AI-2379 took a sharp turn on Tuesday after the flight's pilot-in-command (PIC) reportedly tested positive for consumption of marijuana. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued a strict warning to all Indian carriers after the incident put the ministry and the airline in a global embarrassment.
17 Injured After Sudden 300-Foot Altitude Drop
Around 20 passengers and four crew members were injured on August 4 onboard AI-2379 which suffered a sudden, violent altitude drop of approximately 300 feet within two seconds while cruising above Odisha during its scheduled operation from Phuket to New Delhi. The post-event investigation tells a tale of sharp twists and turns as what was initially seen as an instance of clear air turbulence, soon raised questions about the aircraft's hydraulics issues after Air India wrote to Airbus claiming the aircraft suffered system failures before the event.
However, the focus quickly shifted on the flight's pilot-in-command whose initial screening for psychoactive substances returned a "non-negative" result. While both the pilots were taken off flight duty immediately upon arrival, the results of subsequent confirmatory laboratory testing confirmed the presence of marijuana on Tuesday.
Pilot Screening Initially Returned ‘Non-Negative’ Result
Under existing DGCA protocols, a pilot testing positive for psychoactive substances faces immediate off-rostering, rehabilitation, and severe disciplinary or regulatory action depending on final administrative determinations.
Notably, the civil aviation ministry did not disclose the details about the confirmatory test, stating that it will reveal the details only after all material evidence is examined in its entirety. The AAIB confirmed that France’s air accident investigation agency, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), has participated in the probe as the state of aircraft design and manufacture, along with the original equipment manufacturer – Airbus.
AAIB Examines Technical And Human Factors
According to AAIB, it is focusing on systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence, which includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, relevant operational and maintenance records, medical information and interviews with persons concerned.
“The sole objective of the investigation is to determine the circumstances and contributing factors relating to the occurrence and to identify appropriate safety measures to prevent recurrence. The investigation is independent, evidence-based and comprehensive, and no inference regarding the cause of the occurrence should be drawn from any isolated piece of information while the investigation is in progress,” the ministry said.
MoCA Cracks Down: Regulatory Reforms on the Anvil
The convergence of a potential flight-control anomaly and a compromised pilot has triggered immediate fallout at the highest levels of government. Air India's outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson was summoned to the ministry on Tuesday for high-level deliberations with civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and DGCA officials.
According to sources from within the ministry, a strict warning has been issued across all Indian air carriers stating that such episodes must never recur. MoCA is also evaluating immediate structural reforms, including significantly increased frequency of unannounced, random pre and post-flight dope and alcohol testing for flight crews across all domestic hubs.
