The captain of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, which unexpectedly lost about 300 feet of altitude last week, has tested positive for marijuana in a follow-up drug test, according to an informed source. Earlier today, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson regarding the incident, involving an Airbus A320neo aircraft, as another source revealed. Neither Air India nor the ministry responded to requests for comment. Wilson stated in interviews that the airline provided an update to the ministry about the ongoing investigation.
The summons came shortly after Indian authorities launched an inquiry into the event, which resulted in injuries to 13 passengers and four crew members. The flight, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, experienced a brief altitude change over Odisha, an eastern Indian state. The plane landed safely in Delhi without further incident.
On Sunday, officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the pilot’s initial screening for psychoactive substances indicated the need for confirmatory lab testing. Air India claimed it had not yet been informed of the results.