Air India mandates pilot screening for prohibited substances following Phuket-Delhi turbulence probe; preliminary report by 2nd week of September
New Delhi, August 13
Air India has initiated mandatory screening of all group pilots for unauthorised substances and medications starting Thursday, as regulatory scrutiny intensifies over the airline, according to sources.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is likely to submit its preliminary report on the Phuket-Delhi incident to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) before the second week of September, top sources told ANI.
Meanwhile, the government is expected to expedite the preliminary report into the August 4 Phuket-Delhi Air India flight incident.
The move comes after Air India flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop over Odisha, leaving 20 passengers and four cabin crew members injured.
The Airbus A320 aircraft, bearing registration VT-EXO, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, comprising two pilots and six cabin crew.
The development also comes amid a purported post-flight maintenance report of the aircraft that has revealed a series of technical warnings involving its hydraulic systems, flight controls and autopilot during the journey.
The report lists repeated low-pressure alerts across the green, blue and yellow hydraulic systems, along with low fluid levels in the yellow and blue reservoirs. Autopilot disconnections were also recorded twice.
Other warnings included left and right elevator flight control faults, engine anti-ice-related messages and indications involving the right forward and aft emergency exit doors.
Failure messages further flagged issues with the hydraulic system, an elevator computer and a high-pressure indication linked to the nose landing gear door/engine anti-ice valve system.
Air India had initially described the incident as related to turbulence. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are investigating the occurrence, which has been classified as a serious incident.
The purported maintenance report does not confirm whether the logged hydraulic and flight control warnings were directly linked to the altitude loss or whether an actual loss of pressure or fluid occurred.
Investigators are examining the sequence of events, system data and crew actions.
Air India has said that the safety and well-being of passengers and crew remain its highest priority and that it is cooperating with the authorities. The Civil Aviation Ministry has also been closely monitoring the situation, with senior officials overseeing developments.
Further findings from the AAIB investigation are awaited.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is concerning. A 300-foot drop in a commercial flight is no joke. I flew Air India last month and now I'm second-guessing my choice. Hopefully the AAIB report will shed light on what really happened - was it turbulence or a technical failure?
The maintenance report showing hydraulic warnings and autopilot disconnections is very worrying. Air India needs to be transparent about this - trying to pass it off as "just turbulence" doesn't sit well with any passenger. DGCA should do a full audit of the entire fleet.
As someone who flies regularly for work, this is scary. The pilot screening is good, but what about the aircraft itself? Those repeated low-pressure alerts in all three hydraulic systems aren't normal. Hope the AAIB digs deep and doesn't just rubber-stamp this.
Good that they're being proactive now, but this feels like damage control after getting caught. India needs stricter aviation oversight overall. We can't have a repeat of past incidents where airlines cut corners for profit. Safety first, always.
My family was on that flight! They still get anxious talking about it. The 300-foot drop threw people out of their seats. What if this had happened over the ocean? Relief they landed safely, but Air India owes us answers, not just pilot screenings. 😔
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.