Air India Pilot Tests ‘Not Negative’ for Psychoactive Substances After Turbulence Incident

An Air India Airbus A320 suddenly rose and dropped more than 200 meters during a flight from Phuket to New Delhi, throwing passengers and crew toward the cabin ceiling and injuring 24 people. The seat-belt sign was off when the incident occurred.

The aircraft was flying at 36,000 feet on Aug. 4 when its nose abruptly pitched up and then plunged. Flight-control records showed that all three hydraulic systems lost pressure in succession within four seconds. The autopilot disconnected immediately, cockpit alarms sounded continuously and a stall warning lasted two seconds.

The plane climbed about 113 meters before dropping 89 meters below its original altitude. The hydraulic systems began recovering about nine seconds after the first pressure failure. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau upgraded the case from a “serious incident” to an “accident.”

Investigators have not explained why the aircraft recorded the loss of hydraulic pressure and said further inquiry is needed. Tests also showed that the captain was “not negative” for psychoactive substances, although the report did not identify the substances or establish whether they had any connection to the incident.

Air India said it was fully cooperating with the investigation and had given investigators access to its operational, maintenance and technical records. The event adds to scrutiny of the airline after a Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025 killed 260 people.

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