Air India says pilot fired after non-negative drug test

Air India said it fired the captain of an Airbus A320 that suddenly lost altitude on an August 4 flight from Phuket to New Delhi, after investigators said he was found non-negative for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew. Twenty-four people were injured before the plane stabilised and landed safely. India's civil aviation ministry classified the event as a Serious Incident.

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a preliminary report Friday that the flight-control system detected the loss of three hydraulic systems for several seconds. The bureau said the aircraft first gained 372 feet, or 113 metres, then fell 292 feet, or 89 metres.

The hydraulic failure caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered a two-second stall warning before the systems recovered and the aircraft returned to normal operation, the AAIB said.

The bureau said confirmation of psychoactive substance use was a serious concern. Air India said the pilot was terminated under its zero-tolerance approach to violations of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements.

Following the incident, India's aviation ministry said the regulator was considering tighter screening rules for psychoactive substances. Air India ordered a mandatory one-time drug screening of all of its pilots last month.

Airbus and France's civil aviation safety agency, the BEA, are assisting the Indian investigation.