The plane dropped, the pilot collapsed: drugs and alcohol discovered in the captain's blood
A major drama in the air: 24 people were injured on a flight from Thailand to India after an Air India captain lost consciousness and the autopilot disconnected. A disturbing testimony from a flight attendant: "He was sitting on the floor and trying to smoke." The co-pilot took control and prevented a major disaster.
Aviation authorities in India have opened an investigation into a serious incident that occurred on August 4 on an Air India flight from Phuket, Thailand, to Delhi. During the flight, an Airbus A320 aircraft suddenly dropped about 91 meters. The sudden loss of altitude caused injuries to 24 people — 20 passengers and four crew members — with 17 of them requiring hospitalization.
According to a report by the Times of India, the cause of the sharp loss of altitude was the collapse of the flight captain inside the cockpit. Upon his collapse, the automatic system disconnected and the captain was found lying on the floor. The co-pilot acted quickly, managed to take control of the plane, stabilize it, and bring it to a safe emergency landing at the airport in Delhi.
"Sitting on the floor and trying to smoke"
After landing, a formal complaint filed by one of the flight attendants revealed a particularly disturbing sequence of events. The attendant testified that the captain's conduct was unfit even before the collapse:
"He was sitting on the cockpit floor and trying to smoke. The cabin crew had to help him return to his seat. He was not in full control of himself."
The captain, who was unable to stand on his own after landing, was immediately suspended from all duties. Blood tests conducted at the hospital revealed traces of marijuana and sleeping pills. During his interrogation, the pilot claimed that he suffered from severe insomnia and took the substances on the recommendation of his doctor.
Air India initially stated that the incident was the result of "severe turbulence," but later updated the report to "a sudden loss of altitude during cruise."
Meanwhile, India's Air Accident Investigation Department has opened an investigation. It should be noted that according to safety procedures in India, pilots are required to undergo an alcohol test before every takeoff, but drug tests are conducted only randomly. The country's law strictly prohibits flight crew members from consuming drugs or alcohol in the 12 hours preceding a flight.
