Pilot of Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight That Dropped 300-Foot Tests ‘Non-Negative’ For Drug Use

A preliminary safety investigation into an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, which abruptly dropped 300 feet and injured 24 people on August 4, has revealed that the pilot tested "non-negative" for psycho-active substances during a confirmatory drug test for marijuana use.

Investigators termed the finding a serious safety violation and urged the aviation regulator to take immediate, appropriate action while the detailed probe continues.

While initial carrier statements blamed standard turbulence, technical findings indicate a more complex operational failure.

According to data from the aircraft manufacturer, the altitude loss stemmed from a hydraulic pressure drop across the flight's Green, Blue, and Yellow systems, which temporarily disabled elevator and aileron control surfaces for roughly four seconds.

Post-flight system logs show that at least nine critical warning messages triggered simultaneously at 9:32 AM IST as the aircraft crossed the Odisha coast.

These alerts included low hydraulic pressure, autopilot disconnections, and elevator flight-control faults. Subsequent warnings involved emergency-exit door sensors and an engine anti-ice system. Compounding these mechanical anomalies, internal sources indicate the pilot may have slept for up to 35 minutes mid-flight.

Authorities have emphasized that the final accident report will be released once all technical and human factor evaluations are fully complete.