Air India Captain Of Turbulence-Hit Phuket-Delhi Flight May Have Failed Dope Test, Sources Say

The
i vestigatio
i to
the
seve e
tu bule ce
e cou te ed
by
a
Ai
I dia
flight
f om
Phuket
to
Delhi
o
August
4
has
take
a
ew
tu ,
with
sou ces
claimi g
that
a
post-flight
d ug
o
dope
test
of
the
pilots
may
have
detected
a
psychoactive
substa ce
i
the
captai ‘s
sample.

The
claim
has
ot
bee
i depe de tly
co fi med.
Ai
I dia
has
ack owledged
that
the
pilots
u de we t
testi g
afte
the
i cide t
but
said
it
has
ot
yet
eceived
the
test
epo t.

Ai
I dia’s
A320
ai c aft
ope ati g
flight
AI2379
f om
Phuket
to
Delhi
e cou te ed
seve e
tu bule ce
while
app oachi g
the
atio al
capital.
The
ai c aft
epo tedly
expe ie ced
a
sudde
cha ge
i
altitude
of
a ou d
300
feet,
leavi g
seve al
passe ge s
a d
c ew
membe s
with
mi o
i ju ies.

The
ai c aft
la ded
safely
at
Delhi
ai po t
a d
all
passe ge s
a d
c ew
membe s
disemba ked.
Those
who
sustai ed
i ju ies
we e
take
to
the
ai po t’s
medical
ce t e
fo
exami atio
a d
t eatme t.

DGCA
P obe
Exami es
Tu bule ce,
Pilot
Actio s

The
Di ecto ate
Ge e al
of
Civil
Aviatio
(DGCA)
is
i vestigati g
the
i cide t
to
dete mi e
what
led
to
the
sudde
cha ge
i
altitude
a d
whethe
the
flight
c ew
followed
app op iate
p ocedu es
while
ha dli g
the
tu bule ce.

Sou ces
said
the
i vestigatio
is
also
looki g
i to
whethe
the
ai c aft
was
affected
by
a y
othe
facto
a d
whethe
co ti ui g
the
flight
to
Delhi
was
the
app op iate
decisio
u de
the
ci cumsta ces.

The
alleged
test
esult,
if
co fi med,
could
add
a othe
dime sio
to
the
i vestigatio ,
as
pilots
ope ati g
comme cial
flights
a e
subject
to
st ict
est ictio s
o
the
use
of
substa ces
that
could
impai
thei
ability
to
safely
pe fo m
thei
duties.

Howeve ,
the e
is
cu e tly
o
official
co fi matio
that
the
captai
was
u de
the
i flue ce
of
a y
psychoactive
substa ce
while
ope ati g
the
flight.

Ai
I dia
Yet
To
Receive
Test
Repo t

Ai
I dia
has
said
that
testi g
was
co ducted
followi g
the
i cide t
but
the
ai li e
has
ot
eceived
the
epo t.

The
DGCA
a d
the
Civil
Aviatio
Mi ist y
have
so
fa
ot
publicly
co fi med
the
epo ted
test
esult
o
i dicated
whethe
it
has
a y
bea i g
o
the
o goi g
i vestigatio .

The
epo ted
fi di g
is
the efo e
yet
to
be
established
officially
a d
should
ot
be
t eated
as
evide ce
that
the
pilot
was
impai ed
du i g
the
flight.

What
Caused
The
Sudde
D op?

The
i vestigatio
is
ow
expected
to
establish
why
the
ai c aft
expe ie ced
such
a
sudde
cha ge
i
altitude
a d
whethe
the
eve t
was
solely
caused
by
seve e
tu bule ce
o
whethe
a y
othe
facto s
co t ibuted.

The
p obe
will
also
exami e
the
c ew’s
espo se
to
the
tu bule ce
a d
whethe
all
p esc ibed
aviatio
safety
p ocedu es
we e
followed.

U til
the
official
test
epo t
a d
fi di gs
of
the
DGCA
i vestigatio
a e
made
public,
it
emai s
u clea
whethe
the
epo ted
psychoactive
substa ce
fi di g,
if
a y,
had
a y
co ectio
with
the
tu bule ce
i cide t.

Go to Sou ce