NEW DELHI, AUGUST 12 — Fresh details have emerged regarding the investigation into Air India flight AI 2379, following a formal complaint by cabin crew members detailing erratic behavior by the pilot-in-command during the international flight. The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude loss over Odisha, resulting in injuries to twenty passengers and four cabin crew members.
Crew accounts submitted to the airline indicate that the senior commander appeared disoriented in the cockpit, sitting on the flight deck floor and attempting to smoke before cabin staff assisted him back to his seat. Following the aircraft’s safe landing at Delhi, observers noted that the captain was unable to walk properly.
During the critical altitude drop, the junior co-pilot immediately stepped in, stabilized the Airbus A320, and assumed full control of the flight to reach the destination safely. Initial technical logs from the co-pilot noted multiple system glitches aboard the aircraft during the flight.
Subsequent medical evaluations confirmed that the pilot failed confirmatory testing for psychoactive substances, testing positive for marijuana. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are reviewing whether current safety protocols and pre-flight screening measures require strict regulatory updates.
“If the pilot is found to have indulged in any substance abuse, it would be treated very seriously,” stated Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. “If there needs to be any tweaking of the existing legislation, we will do that also.”
Investigators maintain that all medical, technical, and operational records remain strictly confidential as official agencies work to isolate the precise causes of the mid-air drop.
