Turbulence-hit AI flight captain screening dope test ‘not negative, sent for confirmatory test:’ Govt

A
Ai
I dia
flight
f om
Phuket
to
Delhi,
expe ie ced
a
sudde
loss
of
altitude
of
about
300
feet
du i g
c uise

NEW
DELHI:
The
pilots
of
Ai
I dia’s
Aug
4
tu bule ce-hit
Phuket-Delhi
flight
we e
subjected
to
psychoactive
substa ce
(dope)
sc ee i g
test
o
a ival
at
the
desti atio .
The
pilot-i -comma d
o
captai ’s
sc ee i g
test
epo t
was
ot
egative
a d
has
bee
se t
fo
co fi mato y
tests,
the
aviatio
mi ist y
said
o
Su day.
The
mi ist y
has
classified
the
i cide t
as
a
se ious
o e
which
will
ow
be
p obed
by
Ai c aft
Accide t
I vestigatio
Bu eau
(AAIB).
“Fu the
actio ,
as
app op iate,
will
be
take
based
o
the
outcome
of
the
i vestigatio
a d
co fi mato y
test
esults,”
govt
said.Di ecto ate
Ge e al
of
Civil
Aviatio
(DGCA)
ules
stipulate
that
“i
case
the
sc ee i g
test
is
o – egative,
the
employee
shall
be
immediately
emoved
f om
the
safety
se sitive
duty
till
a
co fi mato y
epo t
is
eceived.
I
case
of
positive
co fi mato y
test
fo
the
fi st
time,
the
co ce ed
employee
shall
be
efe ed
by
the
o ga isatio ”
fo
de-addictio .The
aviatio
mi ist y
o
Su day
said:
“O
Aug
4,
Ai
I dia
A320
(VT-EXO),
ope ati g
flight
AI
2379
f om
Phuket
to
Delhi,
expe ie ced
a
sudde
loss
of
altitude
of
about
300
feet
du i g
c uise,
followi g
which
the
ai c aft
stabilised
a d
subseque tly
la ded
safely
at
Delhi.
Du i g
the
occu e ce,
i ju ies
we e
epo ted
to
a
few
passe ge s
a d
cabi
c ew
membe s
o
boa d.

The
ai c aft
was
ca yi g
137
passe ge s,
i cludi g
th ee
i fa ts,
a d
eight
c ew
membe s
comp isi g
two
pilots
a d
six
cabi
c ew.”“As
sta da d
ope ati g
p ocedu es
followi g
such
a
occu e ce,
both
flight
c ew
membe s
u de we t
the
p esc ibed
psychoactive
substa ce
sc ee i g
test.
The
sc ee i g
test
i
espect
of
the
pilot-i -comma d
(PIC)
i dicated
a
esult
equi i g
co fi mato y
testi g.
Samples
have
acco di gly
bee
se t
to
the
desig ated
labo ato y
fo
co fi mato y
a alysis,
a d
the
fi al
epo t
is
awaited,”
it
added.Pe di g
i vestigatio ,
both
pilots
have
bee
take
off
flyi g
duty
by
the
DGCA.
“The
aviatio
mi ist y
a d
DGCA
emai
fi mly
committed
to
mai tai i g
the
highest
sta da ds
of
aviatio
safety
a d
e su i g
that
all
such
occu e ces
a e
tho oughly
i vestigated
a d
app op iate
actio
is
take
i
acco da ce
with
the
p esc ibed
egulatio s
a d
p ocedu es,”
the
stateme t
added.The
Ai bus
A320
with
145
people
o
boa d
had
e cou te ed
seve e
tu bule ce
ea
Odisha
a d
the
sudde ly
d opped
300
feet.
O
a ival
i
Delhi,
13
passe ge s
a d
fou
c ew
membe s
we e
hospitalised.
People
i
the
k ow
say
autho ities
a e
p obi g
this
case
f om
all
a gles
i cludi g
whethe
the
ha dli g
of
this
tu bule ce
eve t
was
co ect;
whethe
the
eve t
happe ed
due
to
weathe
o
some
othe
easo ;
the
likely
impact
o
the
ai c aft
like
did
it
suffe
hyd aulic
failu e
due
to
impact
a d
whethe
it
should
have
flow
all
the
way
to
Delhi
afte
the
episode
a d
ot
dive ted
to
some
ea by
ai po t
like
Va a asi
o
Luck ow.

DGCA
ules
stipulate
that
a
pilot
testi g
positive
fo
co sumptio
of
psychoactive
substa ces
fo
the
fi st
time
be
efe ed
to
fo
de-addictio
a d
ehabilitatio .
Such
c ew
membe
ca
etu
fo
active
duties
with
a
egative
dope
test
epo t.But
afte
esumi g
flyi g
if
the
same
pe so
tests
positive
fo
psychoactive
substa ces
agai ,
thei
lice ce
will
be
suspe ded
fo
th ee
yea s.
A d
if
afte
esumi g
flyi g
the
same
pe so
agai
tests
positive
fo
the
thi d
time,
the
flyi g
lice ce
is
ca celled.