Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Air India captain fails confirmatory drug test after Phuket-Delhi plunge
An airplane was flying from Phuket to Delhi when it suddenly dropped about 300 feet in the sky.
Even though that sounds scary, the pilots still landed the plane safely in Delhi.
Some passengers and crew members were hurt by the sudden drop.
After the flight, the main pilot took a test to check for drugs.
The first test showed something unusual, so the sample was sent to a lab for a second, more careful test.
That second test reportedly showed the pilot had used a drug called marijuana, but the government has not officially confirmed it.
The pilot is not flying right now while people investigate what happened.
Investigators are also checking whether any parts of the plane's machinery failed.
They want to learn from what happened so that flights can be safer for everyone.
Air India flight AI 2379 suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude during cruise on 4 August and subsequently landed safely in Delhi.
The pilot-in-command's confirmatory drug test reportedly returned positive, with one report identifying the substance as marijuana, though the government has not officially confirmed it.
The aircraft carried 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members; 20 passengers and four cabin crew reportedly suffered injuries.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took both pilots off the flying roster after the initial non-negative screening, while the AAIB conducts an independent investigation.
Investigators are also examining possible multiple hydraulic-system failures, with technical assistance from France's Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) and Airbus representatives.
- Who
- The pilot-in-command of Air India flight AI 2379, whose confirmatory drug test reportedly returned positive, along with Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
- What
- A sudden loss of about 300 feet of altitude on the Phuket-Delhi flight, followed by a reportedly positive confirmatory drug test for the captain.
- When
- Flight incident on 4 August; confirmatory test result reported on Tuesday, 11 August.
- Where
- On the route from Phuket to New Delhi, with post-flight screening at Delhi airport.
- Why
- To determine whether crew fitness, technical failures such as possible hydraulic-system problems, or other factors caused the altitude loss.
Crew-fitness concerns
Technical-failure focus
Cause of the sudden altitude loss
Crew-fitness concerns
The positive confirmatory drug test raises serious questions about whether the captain was fit to fly and has made the incident an aviation-safety test for Air India and the regulator.
Technical-failure focus
A positive toxicology result does not establish that the pilot was impaired, and investigators are also examining possible multiple hydraulic-system failures, so the drug finding should not automatically be treated as the explanation for the aircraft's behaviour.
Drawing conclusions during the probe
Crew-fitness concerns
The reportedly positive result, with one report identifying marijuana, justifies strong regulatory scrutiny, and the government has said it is willing to review regulations if substance abuse is established.
Technical-failure focus
The government has not officially confirmed the substance or the result and has urged the media and public not to draw conclusions from incomplete or unverified information while the independent AAIB investigation is underway.
- Flight
- AI 2379
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320, registered VT-EXO
- Route
- Phuket to Delhi
- Incident date
- 4 August
- Altitude loss
- About 300 feet during cruise
- On board
- 137 passengers (including 3 infants) and 8 crew members
- Reported injuries
- 20 passengers and 4 cabin crew members
- Confirmatory drug test
- Reportedly positive; substance not officially confirmed, though one report identifies marijuana
