TNIE online desk
Air India flight AI2379 lost around 300 feet of altitude after a temporary failure of all three hydraulic systems, while a separate inquiry found that the captain’s post-flight psychoactive-substance test was non-negative and the confirmatory test was reportedly positive for marijuana.
Aviation rules prohibit pilots from operating under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, sedatives or stimulants. However, unlike alcohol, pilots do not routinely undergo drug testing before every flight; airlines are required to conduct random testing of at least 10% of flight crew annually.
Urine tests can detect drug metabolites that remain in the body after the psychoactive effects have worn off. Investigators therefore need to establish when the substance was consumed, whether the pilot was impaired while flying and whether medication or other factors could have influenced the result.
Unlike major Indian bases, overseas stations may not have the same level of medical and operational infrastructure. The Phuket episode raises the question of what independent mechanism exists at international departure points to identify an unfit pilot before they enter the cockpit.
Air India responded by screening all around 5,000 pilots, but the article argues that increasing annual random testing from 10% to 20% or 25% alone would not solve the problem. Models in the US, Australia and UK combine random and surprise testing, regulator oversight, suspicion-based checks, post-incident testing and mechanisms to prevent unfit crew from flying.