Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Air India Pilot Tests Positive for Marijuana After 300-Foot Flight Drop
An airplane was flying from Phuket in Thailand to Delhi in India when something went wrong.
While flying very high in the sky, the plane suddenly dropped about 300 feet.
That sudden drop hurt 24 people on the plane.
The pilots still managed to land the plane safely in Delhi.
After the flight, a drug test showed that one of the pilots had marijuana in his body.
Because of this, both pilots were told to stop flying while experts check everything.
Nobody knows yet exactly why the plane dropped.
At first, people thought it was rough weather, called turbulence.
But experts are also checking whether the plane had a mechanical problem with its controls.
A special team of investigators is looking into all the evidence to find out what really happened.
An Air India Airbus A320 flying from Phuket to Delhi suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude over Odisha on August 4, injuring 24 people.
The pilot-in-command's confirmatory drug test came back positive for marijuana, and both pilots were taken off the flying roster pending the investigation.
The drop was initially attributed to severe turbulence, but sources report the aircraft faced multiple hydraulic and control-system snags with cockpit warnings before the incident.
The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, landed safely in Delhi; 17 people required hospital admission.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the serious incident with assistance from Airbus and France's BEA, and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been notified.
- Who
- Air India's pilot-in-command, whose confirmatory drug test was positive for marijuana; both pilots were removed from the flying roster. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson met senior civil aviation ministry officials on August 11, and the AAIB is leading the investigation.
- What
- An Air India Airbus A320 suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude mid-cruise, injuring 24 people, after which the pilot-in-command's confirmatory drug test came back positive for marijuana.
- When
- On August 4, about two-and-a-half hours after the flight departed Phuket at 8:41 AM local time; the aircraft landed in Delhi at 11:07 AM.
- Where
- Over the Indian state of Odisha, at about 36,000 feet, while en route from Phuket, Thailand, to Delhi, India.
- Why
- The cause is still under investigation; severe turbulence, suspected hydraulic and control-system snags, pilot handling, and the positive marijuana test are all being examined by the AAIB.
Turbulence and Weather Explanation
Technical Failure and Pilot Factors
Cause of the 300-foot altitude drop
Turbulence and Weather Explanation
The government and airline initially attributed the incident to severe turbulence, and sources caution that weather-related problems cannot be ruled out while the AAIB examines all aspects.
Technical Failure and Pilot Factors
Sources report the aircraft faced multiple hydraulic and control-system snags with cockpit warnings just before the drop, and the pilots responded by taking manual control, during which the altitude loss occurred.
Significance of the pilot's positive marijuana test
Turbulence and Weather Explanation
The confirmatory drug test came back positive for marijuana, and both pilots were taken off the flying roster, indicating the result is a key part of the investigation.
Technical Failure and Pilot Factors
The ministry warns that no conclusion about the cause should be drawn from any isolated piece of information, especially since initial screenings can produce false positives, and the comprehensive probe is still underway.
- Airline
- Air India
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320, registered VT-EXO
- Route
- Phuket (Thailand) to Delhi (India)
- Incident date
- August 4
- People on board
- 137 passengers (including 3 infants) and 8 crew
- Injuries
- 24 injured (20 passengers and 4 cabin crew); 17 admitted to hospital
- Pilot drug test
- Positive for marijuana (confirmatory); both pilots off the flying roster
- Investigation
- AAIB, with technical assistance from Airbus and France's BEA
