Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Probe Takes Dramatic Turn: Chief Pilot’s Drug Test Results Awaited as Triple Hydraulic Failures Revealed

The investigation into the Air India flight that plunged 300 feet on August 4, injuring 17 people on board, has taken a significant turn with “confirmatory” psychoactive drug test results awaited for the chief pilot, while newly discovered evidence reveals the aircraft experienced triple hydraulic failures during the incident.

The Airbus A320 was operating Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi with 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members on board when it experienced the sudden loss of altitude. The aircraft subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. What initially appeared to be severe turbulence has evolved into a complex technical and human factors investigation raising profound questions about flight safety protocols and crew fitness assessments.

Air India’s Phuket-Delhi flight lost around 300 feet during cruise amid reported technical glitches and triple hydraulic failures, with Airbus and France’s BEA joining the AAIB probe. The discovery of multiple hydraulic system failures simultaneously suggests not merely random technical malfunction but potential systemic aircraft maintenance concerns requiring urgent examination across Air India’s broader fleet operations.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has classified the occurrence as a Serious Incident and opened a comprehensive investigation. Airbus said it was providing technical assistance to investigators under international aviation rules, with a team of specialists being dispatched to assist with the investigation. The involvement of France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) alongside Airbus reflects the international significance of the incident and establishes multilateral investigative protocols adhering to ICAO Annex 13 standards.

The chief pilot’s pending drug test results represent the most controversial investigative development, introducing human performance factors alongside mechanical failures. While authorities have not disclosed specific test details, the explicit mention of “confirmatory” results indicates initial screening results warranting additional substantiation before formal conclusions regarding pilot fitness and capability during the incident.

Indian authorities secured the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder for examination following the incident. These critical data sources will establish precise technical sequences, pilot communications, and decision-making processes during the approximately 300-foot descent, enabling investigators to distinguish between equipment failures and human factors contributing to the incident trajectory.

The incident compounds Air India’s operational challenges. The probe comes as Air India has struggled to execute a turnaround following multiple setbacks and has been hit hard by disruptions caused by Middle East crisis, with the biggest blow to the airline’s image coming in June 2025, when Air India Flight 171 – a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner – crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground.

As the investigation deepens, regulatory authorities and aviation safety communities await resolution of competing technical and human performance explanations for the incident, with implications extending across Air India’s operational standards, maintenance protocols, and pilot certification processes.