Phuket flight incident: Air India pilot tests positive for marijuana

The incident on August 4 involved an Airbus A320 with 145 people onboard, resulting in 20 passengers and four cabin crew members sustaining injuries.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has emphasised that aviation safety is the top priority and indicated a willingness to revise regulations concerning psychoactive substances if necessary.

Both pilots have been taken off the roster by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pending the investigation and confirmatory testing.

DGCA norms stipulate that a pilot testing positive for drugs is referred for rehabilitation, with subsequent violations leading to licence suspension or cancellation.

 

The pilot-in-command of Air India's Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost 300 feet in altitude last week has tested positive for a psychoactive substance in the confirmatory test, sources said on Tuesday, as Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and senior officials met with the Air India CEO and other executives to discuss the incident.

While there was no official statement from the airline or the authorities, the sources said the pilot has tested positive for marijuana, a psychoactive substance.

On August 4, Air India's Airbus A320 aircraft with registration VT-EXO, operating the flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden altitude variation of approximately 300 feet during cruise. The aircraft, which had 145 people onboard, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in the national capital.

Investigation and Injuries : In a statement on Tuesday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is being assisted by French agency BEA and Airbus in the probe, said 20 passengers and four cabin crew members were injured in the incident. As the AAIB probes the serious flight incident that happened on August 4, leaving at least 24 people injured, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, along with other senior executives, met Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and other officials.

After the meeting, Naidu said safety in aviation is the top most priority and there should not be any compromise from any side. The sources said the pilot has tested positive for psychoactive substance in the confirmatory screening test. After the incident, both pilots of the flight underwent the prescribed psychoactive substance screening test.

"The screening test in respect of the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing. Samples have accordingly been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, and the final report is awaited," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement on August 9. Pending completion of the investigation and testing process, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken both flight crew members off the roster.

Ministerial Response and Regulations : With respect to the use of psychoactive substances, Naidu said the issue was being taken very seriously and that the ministry was ready to tweak regulations if needed. "We are continuously studying it (the issue) and DGCA also, we have asked updates on that... we are taking it very very seriously. If we feel that present regulations are not up to the mark... then, we will respond very seriously... improve whatever needs to be done," he told reporters after the meeting.

Under the norms of aviation watchdog DGCA, if a pilot or an aviation personnel is tested positive for drugs, the person is referred for a rehabilitation programme. In case the same person is tested positive in the test, then the person's licence is suspended for three years. If the violation happens for the third time, then the person's licence is cancelled.

On Monday, sources said the plane experienced multiple technical glitches and hydraulic failures as well as turbulence. Meanwhile, Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, Executive Advisor to Air India Chairman and former Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, and the airline's Head of Flight Safety Deepak Joshi attended the meeting.

Ongoing Probe and Future Steps : Apart from the civil aviation secretary, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Director General Vir Vikram Yadav and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Director General G V G Yugandhar, among others were present at the meeting that was chaired by the minister. The sources said the airline executives were called for a meeting by the civil aviation ministry in the wake of the August 4 incident involving the flight AI2379.

Kharola is Executive Advisor to Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran. Tatas and Singapore Airlines jointly own loss-making Air India. Wilson, who is the CEO and MD of Air India, has resigned and is likely to leave the airline next month.

AAIB said it is presently engaged in the systematic collection, preservation and examination of all relevant technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence. 

"This includes examination of the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, relevant operational and maintenance records, medical information, and interviews with persons concerned. All material evidence will be examined in its entirety before any conclusions are drawn," it said in a statement.

France's Bureau d'enquetes et d'Analyses pour la securite de l'aviation civile (BEA) and Airbus are providing technical assistance to AAIB in the probe. According to AAIB, 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," it noted. 

Further, AAIB appealed to all concerned, including the media and the public, to respect the investigation process and refrain from drawing conclusions on the basis of incomplete, unverified or selectively available information. 

"The AAIB will conduct a thorough investigation covering all material facts and relevant evidence and will issue its preliminary findings within the stipulated timeframe in accordance with the applicable provisions and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) protocols. Further information will be placed in the public domain at the appropriate stage of the investigation," the probe agency said.