Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its preliminary report on the August 4 Air India Delhi-Phuket flight incident, said the pilot-in-command (PIC) tested non-negative for a psychoactive substance. On August 4, 24 passengers were injured after a momentary loss of altitude.
The AAIB flagged it as a “serious concern” and recommended that the DGCA take appropriate action on priority.
“Detailed investigation regarding technical and other aspects are underway. In this case, it has been observed that the PIC [pilot-in-command] was found non-negative for psychoactive substances in the confirmatory test. The confirmation of use of psychoactive substance is a serious concern, and AAIB recommends appropriate actions by DGCA on priority,” the aircraft accident probing body has concluded in its interim report. A stall warning is triggered when the aircraft can’t generate enough lift or force that keeps it up in the air. The aircraft suffered damage at several points inside the cabin, including cracked or dislodged ceiling panels, bent or broken handrails, and damaged emergency exit and overhead-bin components. One of the lavatory commodes was uprooted, while a crew seat and other components near the rear doors were also damaged.
The report also said that during the brief loss of altitude, all three hydraulic systems had failed, the autopilot had disengaged, and the stall warning came on for two seconds.
