Two more pilots at an Indian airline have reportedly failed preliminary drug tests as authorities tighten screening procedures following an incident involving a Phuket-to-Delhi flight that left several passengers injured.
According to NDTV, the two pilots have been removed from flight duties pending the outcome of further testing. The development came as mandatory drug screening was expanded across the airline’s flight crew.
The move followed an incident involving the captain operating the Phuket-Delhi service, who reportedly failed two urine tests after the aircraft landed, with marijuana detected in his system.
Following the discovery, all pilots were instructed to undergo drug screening as part of newly strengthened standard operating procedures (SOPs). More than 300 pilots have undergone testing so far, with final results typically taking between 24 and 48 hours.
A cabin crew member who was on the flight also reportedly lodged a complaint, alleging that the captain had previously smoked cannabis.
The flight had earlier been reported to have suddenly descended by around 300 feet, with the aircraft experiencing a simultaneous loss of control involving its primary flight control surfaces, including the elevator and ailerons, for approximately four seconds.
The spoilers were also reported to have become uncontrollable following a failure involving the same hydraulic system.
During the four-second period, the aircraft’s elevator and ailerons reportedly moved without any input from the pilots after failures occurred across all three of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems.
The unusual incident initially raised concerns that turbulence may have been responsible. However, data recovered from the aircraft’s flight recorders subsequently provided a clearer picture of the events.
The airline later clarified that drug testing is conducted periodically among flight crew to comply with civil aviation regulations, and that the screening programme was not introduced specifically because of any particular flight or operational incident.
The latest preliminary test results have nevertheless drawn further attention to the airline’s strengthened safety and crew fitness measures, while the two pilots await confirmation from the subsequent tests.
