An Air India plane which experienced a sudden drop in altitude while flying from Phuket to New Delhi last month suffered a temporary loss of hydraulic systems, Indian investigators have said.
The plane's pilot also returned a "non-negative" result in a confirmatory test for psychoactive substances, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said in a preliminary report on Friday.
The body is probing the incident involving the Air India A320 flight, which plummeted 300 feet (91 meters) on August 4 while cruising over the Indian state of Odisha, before recovering and landing safely in Delhi.
A total of 20 passengers and four crew members were injured.
Following the incident, Indian media reports said that the primary captain of the flight tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test.
On Friday, the AAIB, updated the event, which was earlier classified as a "serious incident" to an "accident."
The AAIB said that the flight-control system detected the loss of all three of the aircraft's hydraulic systems for several seconds.
"The aircraft encountered altitude upset," it said in the report, adding that the plane gained 372 feet initially and fell by 292 feet.
A two-second stall warning came after the hydraulic failure, disengaging the autopilot and setting off a continuous cockpit alarm, the report said.
The stall warning came when the seatbelt signs were off and the rapid pitch up and down threw those on board against the overhead bins, leading to the injuries, the report elaborated.
"Subsequently, the aircraft operation returned to its normal operating condition," the agency's report said.
The report went on to add that the pilot-in-command returned a "non-negative" test for psychoactive substances.
"The confirmation of use of psychoactive substance is a serious concern," it said without identifying the substance.
Following Friday's report, Air India released a statement saying that it had started voluntary testing of "100% of its pilots" after the incident as "a further step to reinforce its safety-first approach."
"We acknowledge the release of the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and continue to extend our full cooperation to the investigation, including providing access to all relevant operational, maintenance and technical records," the Indian flag carrier said.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has smashed records to become the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket.
Mandhana's total runs now stand at 10,880 as she surpassed former India captain Mithali Raj's rally of 10,868 runs on the international scoreboard.
Madhana achieved the feat as she knocked out a century during team India's win against Hong Kong in the Women's Asia Cup on Thursday.
The ton, which was Madhana's 18th international hundred, also marked the most centuries by a player in women's international cricket.
"I didn't know all of this happened," the 30-year-old left hander said after scripting history.
"But I love batting and am happy to contribute. There are days when you hit balls from the stumps. There are days when you edge one. It's extremely unpredictable."
Former record-holder Raj has congratulated Mandhana.
"To see you go past my record and become the highest run-scorer in international cricket is a moment I'm genuinely proud of. Here's to many more runs and milestones. Keep going!" she wrote on X.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Friday successfully deployed the country's first ever imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit.
A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) — carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite — lifted off from ISRO's primary spaceport, the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, at 2:55 a.m. local time (2125 UTC).
The Indian space agency shared visuals of the countdown for the launch which ended with the GSLV-F17 firing up and lifting off, lighting up the dark early morning skies in its wake.
About 18 minutes later, ISRO announced that the satellite was successfully placed in the intended sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.
ISRO proclaimed "Mission Success!" in a post on X.
The launch marked the 19th flight of India's GSLV. It was also ISRO's first success this year after a mission setback in January saw a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket failing to place 16 satellites in the intended orbit.
The EOS-05 — with a payload of over 2,300 kilograms — is the country's heaviest ever satellite to be carried by a GSLV.
The satellite — dubbed as India's "eye in the sky" — will operate from an altitude of roughly 36,000 kilometers above Earth, which is higher than typical low-Earth-orbit observation satellites.
The satellite will match the home planet's rotational speed.
Its expected mandate is to bolster India's ability to obtain frequent imagery of large areas for applications including Earth observation and monitoring.
"The health of the satellite is perfectly alright," ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said after the launch.
On Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the satellite's launch as "yet another outstanding achievement" by the Indian space agency and "a proud moment" for the country.
"The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India's first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define India's space sector," he said on X.
