Air India AI-2379 Mid-Air Scare: Pilot Under Scrutiny, AAIB Probe Ordered | What Happened?
A serious aviation safety investigation is underway after Air India flight AI-2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi, suffered a sudden loss of altitude of around
A serious aviation safety investigation is underway after Air India flight AI-2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi, suffered a sudden loss of altitude of around 300 feet during cruise on August 4. The Airbus A320 landed safely in Delhi, but 17 people, including passengers and cabin crew, were reported injured.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to investigate the incident, while the two pilots have been taken off flying duty pending the probe. The case has taken another turn after the captain's routine psychoactive-substance screening was reported as requiring confirmatory testing.
The final laboratory result is still awaited, meaning the initial screening should not be treated as a confirmed positive test. There are also questions over exactly what caused the sudden altitude loss. Air India's initial description referred to a turbulence-related event, while a later report cited a suspected transient technical fault.
Aviation experts have raised questions about crew response, passenger safety procedures and the aircraft's handling during the event.
The BriefWire