The investigation into Air India flight AI2379, which was travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, has taken a fresh turn after sources said the pilot-in-command tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory laboratory test.
The Airbus A320neo, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude while cruising over Odisha, throwing passengers and crew around the cabin. Air India initially reported 17 people injured 13 passengers and four crew members while subsequent government-linked reporting put the number at 24, including 20 passengers and four cabin crew members.
The aircraft nevertheless stabilised and landed safely in Delhi at 11:07 am. Both pilots were subjected to mandatory psychoactive-substance screening after the incident, with the captain’s initial test returning a “non-negative” result before a designated laboratory reportedly confirmed marijuana in the sample. Both pilots were taken off the flying roster pending the investigation.
The development has intensified scrutiny of crew fitness and aviation safety, but neither Air India nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation has publicly confirmed the laboratory result. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government was taking the matter “very seriously” and had asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to review existing regulations and consider whether they needed strengthening.
At the same time, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has cautioned against drawing conclusions from isolated evidence. Its investigation is examining the aircraft, recorded flight data, operational and maintenance records, medical information and human factors to establish what caused the sudden altitude loss.
Reports have also pointed to possible hydraulic and flight-control problems, meaning the positive drug test cannot, at this stage, be treated as proof that the pilot’s condition caused the incident.
A Sudden Drop At 36,000 Feet
Air India flight AI2379 was operating its regular Phuket-Delhi service on August 4 when the aircraft encountered a sudden and severe in-flight event during the cruise phase. The Airbus A320neo, registered VT-EXO, was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members.
According to reports, the aircraft lost approximately 300 feet of altitude over Odisha before stabilising and continuing towards Delhi. Air India initially described the episode as a “brief turbulence-related event” involving a momentary change in altitude, and said the aircraft continued normally before landing safely at 11:07 am. But accounts from passengers painted a far more frightening picture.
People reported being lifted from their seats and hitting the ceiling or overhead compartments, while loose objects were thrown through the cabin. One passenger told media that a sudden jolt sent family members into different parts of the cabin, while other passengers described bleeding and injuries after being thrown into the aisle.
Videos shared by news agencies and passengers showed injured travellers being assisted at Delhi airport and taken away in ambulances. The initial official count was 17 injured 13 passengers and four crew members with five passengers discharged on the evening of the incident.
Later reports put the total number of injured at 24, comprising 20 passengers and four cabin crew members, with 17 requiring hospitalisation. The aircraft itself was not damaged to the extent of preventing it from completing the journey, and there was no crash.
The event was subsequently classified as a serious incident and handed to the AAIB for investigation. Passenger videos and social-media discussions have since become an important record of what people experienced inside the cabin, but they cannot establish whether turbulence, a technical malfunction, crew action or a combination of factors caused the aircraft’s altitude change.
News organisations including India Today, NDTV, and The Indian Express have continued to report developments, while video coverage from India Today, News9 and other broadcasters has focused on the investigation and the pilot’s drug-test result.
Drug Test Raises Safety Questions
The most significant new development emerged after both pilots underwent mandatory psychoactive-substance screening following the incident.
According to sources cited by India Today, the co-pilot’s screening did not raise a similar concern, while the pilot-in-command’s initial test returned a result requiring further analysis. His sample was then sent to a designated laboratory, where the confirmatory test reportedly returned positive for marijuana.
Media reported that a source had confirmed the captain’s positive result, while The Indian Express said the preliminary screening had been “non-negative” and explained that confirmatory testing is required before treating such a result as positive because some foods or medicines can affect initial screening.
Neither Air India nor the Ministry of Civil Aviation publicly confirmed the laboratory result when contacted by The Indian Express, and the ministry’s detailed statement on the investigation did not mention the drug-test finding. Air India had earlier said it knew post-flight screening had taken place in accordance with applicable protocols but had not been informed of the results.
This distinction is important: a confirmed positive test establishes that marijuana-related substances were detected under the testing procedure, but it does not by itself establish when the substance was consumed or prove that the pilot was impaired while flying AI2379.
India’s aviation rules already require random psychoactive-substance testing of aviation personnel, including tests for cannabis, and a non-negative result triggers removal from safety-sensitive duties until confirmatory testing is completed. A first confirmed positive can lead to de-addiction and rehabilitation requirements before a return to active duty, subject to further testing and medical fitness.
The latest controversy has nevertheless prompted the government to examine whether the existing safeguards are adequate. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, “We are taking it very seriously,” adding that the ministry had asked the DGCA for an update on the regulations and would strengthen them if they were found to be inadequate.
The DGCA is now reportedly examining stricter testing requirements. Meanwhile, both pilots have been removed from flying duties pending the investigation.
Technical Failure Still Under Probe
The reported drug-test result has increased scrutiny of the pilot, but investigators are also examining whether the aircraft itself experienced technical problems during the flight.
Reports citing people familiar with the investigation have pointed to possible issues involving the aircraft’s hydraulic and flight-control systems, while other accounts have mentioned an autopilot disconnect and additional cockpit indications around the time of the altitude loss.
The Air Line Pilots Association India has urged caution against prematurely linking the drug-test result to the incident. Its president, Captain Sam Thomas, described the crew’s response as “textbook” and argued that reported hydraulic problems should remain a central part of the technical investigation.
The AAIB has similarly stressed that its work is intended to determine the circumstances and contributing factors through evidence rather than speculation. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, investigators are examining the aircraft and its systems, recorded flight data, operational and maintenance records, medical information and human factors, while also interviewing people connected with the incident.
Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) are assisting with the technical investigation. The ministry has also been examining the incident at the regulatory level, with Air India’s outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson and other senior airline officials meeting senior officials from the ministry, DGCA and AAIB to provide an update on the investigation.
The crucial question now is whether the sudden 300-foot loss of altitude can be traced to turbulence, a technical malfunction, crew actions, or several factors occurring together. The pilot’s reported marijuana result may form part of the evidence concerning crew fitness, but investigators will need to establish whether it had any operational relevance to the incident.
Social-media posts have already generated speculation, including claims about the pilot’s behaviour and what happened inside the cockpit, but these claims remain unverified and should not be treated as established facts.
The AAIB’s approach is therefore significant: aviation investigations are meant to reconstruct the sequence of events from recorded evidence rather than assign blame based on a single finding. For passengers, the priority is ultimately not simply identifying an individual to blame, but understanding exactly what happened and ensuring that lessons from AI2379 lead to stronger safeguards.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
For the passengers of AI2379, the most important issue is not the sensationalism surrounding a reported positive marijuana test, but the assurance that an incident capable of injuring 24 people is investigated fully, transparently and without prejudice. A pilot operating a commercial aircraft carries an enormous responsibility, and any confirmed breach of aviation safety rules must be dealt with firmly through due process.
The same standard of evidence must apply to every aspect of the inquiry whether it concerns the pilot’s fitness, the aircraft’s systems, the airline’s safety procedures or the regulator’s oversight. The government has a responsibility to strengthen safeguards where gaps are identified, while airlines must ensure that safety protocols are followed consistently and that crew members are supported in seeking help for substance-related concerns before they become safety risks.
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