9 Technical Snags Likely on Air India Flight That Witnessed 300-Ft Altitude Drop: IGI Source Tells Republic

Nine technical snags were recorded on Air India flight AI 2379, which witnessed a sudden 300-foot altitude drop while operating from Phuket to Delhi, an IGI Airport source has told Republic, citing the aircraft’s automated post-flight maintenance report.

According to the source, the information comes from the aircraft’s automated post-flight maintenance report, which captures technical alerts, system faults and other abnormalities recorded during the flight. The Airbus A320 experienced the incident on August 4, with the sudden altitude drop reportedly throwing passengers and crew members around the cabin. As many as 17 people were injured, including 13 passengers and four crew members. 

Nine Technical Snags Under Scanner

The nine technical snags are now significant as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events surrounding the sudden altitude loss. However, the presence of nine technical snags does not establish that these issues caused the 300-foot altitude drop.

An automated post-flight maintenance report, commonly known as a Post Flight Report or PFR, is a computer-generated summary of system faults, warnings and operational data recorded during an aircraft's flight. The report could help investigators establish the timing and nature of the technical alerts. These findings can subsequently be compared with flight-data recorder information, cockpit inputs and other evidence to determine what unfolded during the incident.

The technical findings are therefore expected to form an important part of the investigation into the sudden altitude loss, even as investigators establish whether any of the recorded snags had a direct connection with the incident.

Toxicology Finding Does Not Automatically Mean Impairment

Separately, a DGCA source has informed Republic that toxicology and impairment are two different issues. A toxicology test can establish whether a substance or its metabolites are present in a pilot's system. However, a positive or non-negative toxicology result does not, by itself, establish that the pilot was impaired while operating the aircraft.

The DGCA source further clarified that impairment has to be assessed separately, based on whether the substance actually affected the pilot's ability to perform his duties safely. Therefore, the toxicology finding should not automatically be treated as proof of impairment or as evidence that it contributed to the 300-foot altitude drop.