Air India pilot undergoes ‘confirmatory’ drug test after flight plunge

India’s aviation ministry said on the weekend that an Air India pilot whose flight plunged dramatically in turbulence injuring 17 passengers and crew members is undergoing a “confirmatory” psychoactive drug test.



The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, lost around 91m in altitude on Aug 4 while flying from Phuket to Delhi, before stabilising and landing safely, the civil aviation ministry conirmed.



Eight passengers and four cabin crew members were admitted to hospitals after landing in the Indian capital, whose conditions were described as “stable”, after which both pilots were given a standard “psychoactive substance screening test".



The ministry said the flight has been classified as a “Serious Incident”, and that India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an investigation.