Jagran Correspondent: An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi is under scrutiny following a turbulence-related incident over Odisha on August 4 that left 13 passengers and four cabin crew members injured. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the incident, which it has classified as a Serious Incident.
In accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), both flight crew members underwent the prescribed psychoactive-substance screening. The screening test conducted on the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing. Accordingly, the samples have been forwarded to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, and the final report is awaited.
Both flight crew members have been taken off the roster by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Further action, as appropriate, will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation and the confirmatory test results.
The aircraft, operating as AI-2379, reportedly experienced a sudden altitude drop of around 300 feet while flying over Odisha. The incident was initially attributed to severe turbulence. The flight was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members including two pilots and six cabin crew members. The aircraft later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.
Was It Really Turbulence?
The aircraft reportedly dropped approximately 300 feet during the incident, while its descent rate reached 1,600 feet per minute. At that rate, the aircraft would have been losing altitude at roughly eight metres per second—equivalent to the height of a two-and-a-half-storey building every second.
The sudden change in altitude resulted in injuries to 13 passengers and four cabin crew members.
Severe turbulence was initially identified as the cause of the altitude drop. The reported preliminary screening result involving the captain, however, has added another aspect for investigators to examine.
That does not mean the screening result establishes a link between the pilot and the incident. Investigators will need to determine the cause of the sudden altitude change and assess all relevant factors, including weather conditions, aircraft data, crew actions and any other circumstances that may have affected the flight.
If the confirmatory laboratory test does establish the presence of a prohibited substance, investigators would then have to determine whether, if at all, it had any bearing on the crew's performance or the events surrounding the incident.
Why Did the Aircraft Continue to Delhi?
Another question surrounding the incident is why the aircraft continued to Delhi instead of diverting to a nearby airport after the turbulence occurred.
Several passengers were reportedly thrown from their seats and struck the ceiling during the sudden altitude drop. Despite the injuries, the aircraft continued its more-than-one-hour journey to Delhi.
One passenger alleged that the pilot did not make an emergency landing at the nearest airport because he feared that doing so could result in the cancellation of his licence.
According to the passenger, the pilot continued the flight, repeatedly saying that the aircraft would land within another five minutes.
The allegation has not been independently established. It also cannot, at this stage, be taken as evidence of the pilot's motivation for continuing to Delhi.
The investigation will need to establish why the crew chose to continue the flight rather than divert, taking into account the condition of the aircraft, the nature and severity of the injuries, weather conditions, fuel, operational considerations and the availability of suitable diversion airports.
Federation of Indian Pilots Urges Caution
Amid the growing controversy, Captain C S Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, has urged caution against drawing conclusions before the official findings are available.
He said that a psychoactive-substance test was conducted on the pilot after the flight landed. However, he noted that there has so far been no official confirmation that the report was positive.
The distinction between a preliminary screening result and a confirmed laboratory finding is important. A preliminary screening can indicate the need for further testing, but it does not by itself establish that a prohibited substance was consumed or that a pilot was impaired while operating the aircraft.
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The confirmatory laboratory analysis will therefore be important in determining whether the preliminary result is substantiated.
What Do DGCA Rules Say?
The DGCA has a 'zero-tolerance' policy for pilots and other crew members with regard to the consumption of prohibited substances.
Under the applicable rules, the consumption of any narcotic substance or alcohol is prohibited within 12 hours before the commencement of duty.
A first failed test can result in the suspension of an individual's licence for three months.
For a second violation, the suspension period increases to three years, while a third violation can result in the permanent cancellation of the licence.
As per reports, more than 100 aviation employees have been suspended for failing such tests since the implementation of the stringent rules. On average, 30 to 40 such cases are reported every year.
The regulations are intended to ensure that pilots and other safety-critical aviation personnel are fit to perform their duties and are not affected by substances that could impair their judgment or performance.
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Black Box Data Could Be Crucial
The aircraft's flight-recording data could be crucial to the investigation. The recorded parameters may help investigators establish what happened during the sudden altitude change and determine how the aircraft and crew responded.
The data could provide information about the aircraft's altitude, rate of descent, speed, flight path and other parameters during the critical period. Cockpit recordings, where applicable, could also help investigators understand the sequence of events and the crew's response.
Such evidence will be particularly important in determining whether the altitude drop was solely the result of turbulence or whether other factors contributed to the incident.
The investigation will also examine the decisions made after the event, including the decision to continue to Delhi despite reports of injuries among passengers and crew.
If the confirmatory laboratory examination establishes that the preliminary screening result was accurate, the authorities would separately have to determine whether any regulatory violation occurred and whether it had any connection to the incident.