Air India Safety Alert: Pilot Tests Positive for Marijuana After 300-Foot Mid-Air Altitude Loss

A
f esh
co t ove sy
has
eme ged
a ou d
a
Ai
I dia
flight
afte
a
se ious
mid-ai
i cide t
aised
questio s
about
passe ge
safety
a d
cockpit
p ocedu es.
The
Phuket-to-Delhi
flight
epo tedly
suffe ed
a
sudde
altitude
loss
of
ea ly
300
feet,
leavi g
seve al
passe ge s
i ju ed
befo e
the
ai c aft
eve tually
la ded
safely.
What
was
i itially
li ked
to
tu bule ce
is
ow
u de
deepe
i vestigatio ,
with
atte tio
tu i g
towa d
the
c ew
a d
ope atio al
p ocedu es.
Acco di g
to
epo ts
cited
du i g
the
i vestigatio ,
the
pilot
u de we t
a
psychoactive
substa ce
sc ee i g
afte
the
flight,
a d
a
subseque t
test
was
epo tedly
positive
fo
ma ijua a.
The
developme t
has
i te sified
co ce s
ove
how
flight
c ew
membe s
a e
sc ee ed
befo e
ope ati g
a
ai c aft
a d
whethe
existi g
safety
checks
we e
p ope ly
followed.
The
pilot
a d
co-pilot
have
epo tedly
bee
emoved
f om
the
flyi g
oste
while
autho ities
exami e
the
ci cumsta ces
su ou di g
the
i cide t.
Questio s
a e
also
bei g
aised
ove
whethe
the
epo ted
substa ce
fi di g
had
a y
co ectio
with
the
ai c aft& squo;s
sudde
altitude
loss
o
the
i ju ies
suffe ed
by
passe ge s.
The
Ai c aft
Accide t
I vestigatio
Bu eau
is
exami i g
the
i cide t
to
dete mi e
whethe
tech ical,
ope atio al
o
huma
facto s
played
a
ole.
Aviatio
autho ities
a e
also
looki g
i to
the
ai li e& squo;s
p ocedu es
a d
the
ci cumsta ces
u de
which
the
flight
was
allowed
to
depa t
f om
Phuket.
The
epo ted
d ug-test
esult
has
spa ked
a
wide
debate
about
pilot
fit ess,
p e-flight
sc ee i g
a d
ai li e
accou tability.
Howeve ,
the
i vestigatio
is
still
u de way,
a d
the
epo ted
test
esult
alo e
does
ot
establish
that
i toxicatio
caused
the
ai c aft& squo;s
altitude
loss.

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