The pilot of an Air India flight that suddenly lost altitude and dropped early this month has been under investigation, and evidence of cannabis use has been found in his case.
On 4 August, the flight from Phuket in Thailand to Delhi dropped about 300 feet from its cruising altitude, injuring at least 24 people. The aircraft later landed safely.
The civil aviation ministry confirmed that drug screening of the pilots was ordered after the incident. After the result of the pilot’s first test, a further medical test was needed to confirm the matter.
A source connected to the investigation told Reuters that the result of the second test was also positive for cannabis.
Cabin crew had complained to Air India that the pilot was not fully in control. Investigators are said to be examining the pilot’s behaviour. On any flight, final authority and legal responsibility usually rest with the pilot.
According to Air India’s internal flight-safety report, when an alert sounded the pilot was not in his seat but standing behind the co-pilot, discussing the aircraft’s air-conditioning system. At that point the autopilot disconnected and the nose of the aircraft pitched upward. The co-pilot, who was flying at the time, later brought the nose back down.
That manoeuvre created a severe negative-G excursion, or weightless condition, and the aircraft suddenly dropped. As a result, loose objects — and the pilot and co-pilot themselves — floated upward. The pilot said he floated up and saw various items and his co-pilot suspended in mid-air; he struggled diagonally back to his seat and switched on the seatbelt sign.
After belting himself in, the pilot said “I have controls” and took charge of the descending aircraft. To prevent a loss of speed and altitude and to stabilise it, he pushed the throttle to maximum continuous thrust — but by then the aircraft had already dropped about 300 feet.
Investigators were also checking whether there had been any major problem with the aircraft’s systems. The engineering log showed that a low-pressure signal had appeared in the hydraulic system, which uses pressurised fluid to operate the flight controls, landing gear, brakes and other heavy mechanical parts.
Signals of the autopilot disconnecting and an elevator fault were also recorded, indicating that the aircraft’s pitch control had been affected. Pitch control allows the pilot to raise or lower the nose, determining whether the aircraft climbs, descends or flies level.
In an initial statement, Air India said the flight had “temporarily encountered turbulence while in the cruise, resulting in a transient change in the aircraft’s altitude.” The Independent contacted the airline about the matter but received no immediate comment.
India’s civil aviation ministry said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is “currently gathering, preserving and examining accurate data on all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-related factors.” This includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, relevant operation and maintenance information, medical information and interviews of those involved, the ministry said, adding that all factors and evidence would be fully reviewed before reaching any conclusion.
The incident is a fresh blow for Air India, which is already facing several safety investigations. The private airline has been under growing pressure since one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners crashed in 2025, killing 260 people; investigations into a number of faults began after that crash, and oversight of India’s aviation sector has been tightened further.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report