Phuket-Delhi flight incident: Air India pilot fails second dope test

Air India CEO Wilson summoned by MoCA over Phuket-Delhi flight incident

The pilot-in-command of Air India's Phuket-Delhi flight, which suddenly lost altitude for some time, injuring 24 people on board on August 4, has failed a second post-flight test for psychoactive substances, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

 

"The pilot-in-command has failed the second dope test... His result was non-negative for marijuana," one person said. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) did not respond to Business Standard's request for a statement on the matter.

 

On August 4, Air India flight AI2379 -- operating from Phuket to Delhi -- suffered a sudden loss of around 300 feet in altitude, leaving 20 passengers and four crew members injured. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members comprising two pilots and six cabin crew. After the aircraft safely landed in Delhi, both pilots underwent mandatory screening for psychoactive substances.

   

Two days ago, the MoCA had said the pilot-in-command’s initial screening was “non-negative” and that the sample had been sent for confirmatory testing at a designated laboratory. Both pilots were taken off the flying roster pending the investigation.

 

Based on the information received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the "nature" of the incident, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has taken up the investigation.

 

On Tuesday, the AAIB said: "Certain records, statements, medical information and other material collected during the investigation are protected and confidential in accordance with the applicable investigation framework. Maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the investigation process is essential to a fair, objective and technically sound determination of the facts."

 

"The AAIB therefore requests 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," it added.

 

Meanwhile, Air India’s outgoing chief executive officer (CEO), Campbell Wilson, was also summoned to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday to brief senior government officials on the incident, people familiar with the development said.

 

Wilson met senior officials from the MoCA and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to provide an update on the incident involving Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 that experienced a sudden altitude loss of around 300 feet while flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. No one died, but 24 people were injured.

 

Officials told Wilson to address the airline's various departments regarding the incident, saying public confidence in the airline remains fragile following the Air India AI171 crash last year. The latest incident has further shaken confidence in the airline, they told him during the meeting, Business Standard has learnt.

 

On June 12 last year, Air India flight AI171 -- a Boeing 787-8 operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick -- crashed shortly after take-off, killing 260 people, including 241 people on board and 19 on the ground.

 

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has classified the Phuket-Delhi flight incident as a “serious incident”. France’s aviation accident investigation agency, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), and aircraft manufacturer Airbus have also joined the investigation.

 

While leaving the ministry after the meeting on Tuesday, Wilson said, “We were just giving an update on the status of the investigation... It is up to him (the Civil Aviation Minister) to give an update.”