AAIB Report: Air India Pilot Tested Non-Negative for Drug Use

Flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi was operated with an Airbus A320-251N aircraft bearing registration VT-EXO, and had 145 people on board, including 2 pilots and 6 cabin crew. The aircraft took off from Phuket at 1.41am UTC (7.11am IST). Hindustan Times and The Hindu BusinessLine reported that the accident occurred on 04 August 2026 at approximately 0402 UTC (0932 IST). At 9.32:43am IST, while cruising at FL 360, the aircraft's flight-control system detected a loss of the green hydraulic system. At 9.32:48am IST the autopilot disengaged and a continuous repetitive chime sounded. Three seconds later, the stall warning was triggered for two seconds, and four seconds after that, the loss of the blue and yellow systems was also detected. The aircraft encountered altitude upset, gaining 372 ft and then falling by 292 ft from its assigned flight level. No adverse weather was reported by the flight crew or air traffic control. The co-pilot, who was the pilot flying, responded to the situation before the pilot-in-command took over the controls. At 9.32:52am IST, the Blue hydraulic system recovered, and a few seconds later the Yellow and Green hydraulic systems also recovered, allowing the flight to resume normal operations. Hindustan Times and The Hindu BusinessLine reported that the occurrence was classified as an accident based on the evidence collected and the assessment of injuries sustained by the persons onboard. The crew examined the situation in the cabin and decided to continue to Delhi rather than divert to the nearest enroute airport, and AAIB noted that this decision was made despite the flight crew being apprised about injuries in the cabin. After the flight landed at Delhi airport, 24 people were given medical assistance, and of them four had serious injuries. Both pilots underwent breath-analyser examinations, with satisfactory results.

Hindustan Times and The Hindu BusinessLine reported that Air India had started voluntary testing of 100 per cent of its pilots as a further step to reinforce its safety-first approach.