New Delhi: The Captain of the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight has tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test, sources said. The test was initiated after the preliminary test conducted immediately after landing returned a ‘non-negative’ result.
Earlier on Tuesday, the outgoing CEO of the airline, Campbell Wilson, was summoned by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, where top officials from the DGCA and AAIB were also present.
Both pilots of AI2379, as part of the procedure, had undergone screening for psychoactive substances after the flight landed in the Capital. The initial screening result of the Captain indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing, following which the sample was sent to a designated laboratory.
NewsX has reliably learnt that Wilson was summoned after the confirmatory test returned positive.
While refusing to share details of the meeting, Wilson, after an hour-long meeting, said, “We were just giving an update on the status of the investigation… It is up to him (MoCA Minister) to give an update.”
While the ministry or the Civil Aviation Minister did not directly confirm the confirmatory test result, Ram Mohan Naidu, speaking about possible reforms to regulations on substance abuse by pilots, hinted at strengthening the rules.
He said, “If we feel that the present regulation is not up to the mark, we will respond to it very seriously and improve whatever needs to be done.”
Under DGCA regulations, a pilot who tests positive for psychoactive substances on a first offence is immediately grounded and sent for a de-addiction and rehabilitation programme. In the case of a first offence, however, the pilot can return to duty after testing negative and receiving a medical fitness certificate.
Both pilots were immediately grounded following the incident on DGCA orders.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had classified the incident as “serious” and handed the probe to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
On August 4, Flight AI2379, which took off from Phuket at 8:41 am for Delhi, suffered a sudden drop in altitude of approximately 300 feet over Odisha, injuring at least 24 people onboard, including crew members.
