Phuket-Delhi AI flight captain’s confirmatory test also positive: Sources

Co fi mato y
dope
test
of
the
pilot-i -comma d
the
flight
last
Tuesday
has
also
come
positive

NEW
DELHI:
The
co fi mato y
dope
test
of
the
pilot-i -comma d
(PIC)
ope ati g
Ai
I dia’s
Phuket-Delhi
flight
last
Tuesday
has
also
come
positive,
say
sou ces.
His
sc ee i g
test
do e
o
a ival
was
” o
egative”
a d
the
as
pe
p ocedu e,
a
co fi mato y
test
was
co ducted
whose
epo t
came
Tuesday.
The
DGCA
is
ow
wo ki g
fo
mo e
st ict
dope
test
equi eme ts
to
act
as
a
effective
dete e t.Mea while,
aviatio
sec eta y
Sami
Si ha
called
Ai
I dia’s
outgoi g
CEO
Campbell
Wilso
whe e
officials
of
the
DGCA
a d
AAIB
we e
p ese t.
The
officials
asked
AI
to
e su e
safety
of
ope atio s
f om
all
aspects
a d
asked
what
steps
is
the
ai li e
taki g
to
the
effect.The
pilots
of
Ai
I dia’s
August
4
Phuket-Delhi
flight,
which
had
expe ie ced
a
sudde
loss
of
altitude
of
about
300
feet
du i g
c uise,
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
Su day.The
mi ist y
has
classified
the
i cide t,
which
led
to
17
people
bei g
hospitalised,
as
a
se ious
o e
a d
the
Ai c aft
Accide t
I vestigatio
Bu eau
(AAIB)
will
p obe
it.
“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
(fo
psychoactive
substa ces)
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 .Multiple
passe ge s
a d
cabi
c ew
membe s
o
boa d
the
Ai bus
A320
ope ati g
as
AI
2379
we e
i ju ed
whe
it
sudde ly
lost
altitude.
The
pla e
late
la ded
safely
i
Delhi.
“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,”
the
mi ist y
stateme t
added.Both
the
pilots
have
bee
take
off
flyi g
duty
by
the
DGCA
pe di g
i vestigatio .“…
fi mly
committed
to
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.

Autho ities
a e
p obi g
this
case
f om
all
a gles
i cludi g
what
caused
the
sudde
of
altitude,
weathe
o
somethi g
else;
the
ha dli g
of
this
eve t;
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.