NEW DELHI: The captain who operated Air India’s turbulence-hit Phuket-Delhi flight on August 4 has reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances in a post-flight dope test.
The pilot, in his thirties, has been grounded temporarily. Air India stated they were not aware of the results of the dope test.
According to sources, the test for psychoactive substances was conducted by the staff at Delhi airport on the directions of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which operates under the Civil Aviation Ministry. The AAIB is authorised to order such tests in case of flight accidents.
The incident involving turbulence which caused the flight to go down by 300 feet is being treated as an accident as 17 passengers were injured including four cabin crew members, were injured on following mid-air turbulence.
Narrating the sequence of events, a source said, “After the arrival of the plane, the pilots were subjected to Breathalyser test and it turned out to be negative. Blood and urine tests too were also conducted. Since the result came positive for psychotropic substances, another confirmatory test has been conducted and the results sent to a certified lab for confirmation. It is possible that hair samples too were taken."
Air India in a statement said, "We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings. Air India undertakes regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight or operational incident. We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities as required."
Captain C.S Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, said that psychotropic substances can remain in the body for up to three months and, in some cases, may persist for as long as six months. “The kind of substance that the pilot may have taken needs to be revealed first. Sometimes, airline crew have the tendency to go in for self-medication. Even in the case of pain killers, morphine is present. A dope test will show positive in such instances too.”
Randhawa also pointed out the penalties are quite lenient in India. “The pilot is taken off duty for at least six months and sent to a rehabilitation centre in case it is the first such instance. In some countries, particularly in the Gulf region, the pilot is terminated and the licence cancelled too.”
While breathalyser tests are conducted for every flight, only ten percent of pilots are subjected to dope tests or such tests are carried out after an accident, he added. “In this particular instance, if the pilot has been found to have consumed cocaine or marijuana even three months earlier, then it is a serious problem. It puts into jeopardy all the flights he has operated during the period,” he said.
Airline Pilot Association of India president, Captain Sam Thomas, said it was completely wrong to attribute any names to the pilot at this stage. “Many youngsters take supplements for body building and some of them do have banned substances in them. For instance, those who used deodorants tested positive earlier in breathalyser tests. The specific substance that was found in his body needs to be identified first in the confirmatory test,” he said. He added that self-medication is a major problem in India.