Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Captain Tests Positive in Dope Test After Severe Turbulence

The Airbus A320 with 145 people on board had encountered severe turbulence near Odisha and then suddenly dropped 300 feet.

NEW DELHI: The captain operating Air India’s turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight on Tuesday (Aug 4) reportedly tested positive in a psychoactive substances (dope) test conducted on arrival, according to multiple sources. The airline did not either confirm or deny it, saying while the tests were conducted, the results have not been shared with it. “We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings,” an AI spokesperson said. “Air India undertakes regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight or operational incident. We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required,” the airline added.

The Airbus A320 with 145 people on board had encountered severe turbulence near Odisha and then suddenly dropped 300 feet. On arrival in Delhi, 13 passengers and four crew members were hospitalised. Sources say the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this case from all angles including whether the handling of this turbulence event was correct; whether the event happened due to weather or some other reason; the likely impact on the aircraft like did it suffer hydraulic failure due to impact and whether it should have flown all the way to Delhi after the episode and not diverted to some nearby airport like Varanasi or Lucknow. Pending probe, flight crew is taken off flying duty as per protocol. So the pilots of this flight are also not flying currently. DGCA rules stipulate that a pilot testing positive for consumption of psychoactive substances for the first time be referred to for de-addiction and rehabilitation. Such crew member can return for active duties with a negative dope test report.

But after resuming flying if the same person tests positive for psychoactive substances again, their licence will be suspended for three years. And if after resuming flying the same person again tests positive for the third time, the flying licence is cancelled. International Civil Aviation Organisation says that “holders of licences shall not exercise the privileges of their licences and related ratings while under the influence of any psychoactive substance, which might render them unable to safely and properly exercise these privileges”. While the probe in Tuesday’s event would have focused on pilot handling the situation anyway, the captain reportedly testing positive adds another dimension to the same.