NEW DELHI – Air India’s outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson, along with other senior airline executives, was summoned by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday for a high-level meeting concerning the serious incident involving the Phuket-Delhi flight AI2379 that left at least 17 people injured .
The meeting on August 11, which came a week after the August 4 incident, was convened by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha. It was also attended by Executive Advisor to Tata Sons Chairman Pradeep Singh Kharola, Air India’s Head of Flight Safety Deepak Joshi, DGCA Director General Vir Vikram Yadav, and AAIB Director General G V G Yugandhar .
The ministry’s action signals growing concern over a series of alarming revelations about the flight’s condition and the conduct of its pilot-in-command.
The Incident: A 300-Foot Plunge Mid-Air
On August 4, the Air India Airbus A320 (VT-EXO) was cruising from Phuket to Delhi with 137 passengers and 8 crew members when it experienced a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet . The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating the incident, with technical assistance from France’s BEA and Airbus .
While the aircraft stabilised and landed safely, at least 20 passengers and four cabin crew members reported injuries, with many being thrown about the cabin during the sudden drop .
Pilot Failed Confirmatory Drug Test for Marijuana
According to sources, the pilot-in-command has failed a confirmatory psychoactive substance screening and was found to have consumed marijuana . The initial screening after the incident had already indicated the need for further analysis.
Sources also alleged that the pilot displayed erratic behaviour during the flight:
He was reportedly sitting on the cockpit floor and tried to light a cigarette .
Cabin crew had to help him back to his seat as he was not in full control of himself .
A senior official told the Times of India, “He was unable to walk properly after exiting the aircraft” .
The young co-pilot is understood to have single-handedly steadied the aircraft and landed it safely in Delhi after the incident .
Technical Failures and ‘Turbulence’ Cover-Up Allegations
Adding to the gravity, sources indicate the incident involved far more than just turbulence. Maintenance reports reveal multiple technical glitches, including warnings of low pressure in all three hydraulic systems, autopilot disconnections, and emergency door warnings .
NDTV reported that Air India’s first official statement attributed the event to a “brief in-flight turbulence-related event.” However, a second statement issued hours later removed the word “turbulence,” downplaying the significance of the technical failures .
The investigation will now determine whether the sudden altitude loss was caused by a series of rare technical failures or by the actions of the allegedly impaired pilot .
Government Response and Regulation Review
The government is taking the matter extremely seriously. Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu has reportedly pulled up Air India’s management and indicated that reforms regarding drug tests for aviation personnel are on the horizon .
The DGCA is reviewing its rules concerning psychoactive substance tests for pilots. Senior pilots have called for a distinction to be made between those taking prescribed medication and those found to have consumed “true” psychoactive substances like marijuana .
Wilson, who has resigned as CEO and MD of Air India and is set to leave on September 30, was asked for comment by media personnel but declined to speak, citing the ongoing investigation .
The AAIB has stated that it will not draw conclusions from isolated pieces of information and will issue its preliminary findings in accordance with ICAO protocols .