An Air India pilot is being extensively tested for psychoactive substances after a flight suffered a spectacular crash, injuring 17 passengers and crew, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry said on Sunday.
The Air India Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, suddenly lost about 300 feet (91 meters) on August 4 while flying from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, before stabilizing and landing safely, the ministry said.
Among the injured, eight passengers and four crew members were admitted to hospital after landing in the Indian capital. Their condition was described as “stable.” Both pilots of the plane were subject to a standard “psychoactive substance test,” according to the ministry statement.
“The screening test carried out on the captain indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing.” “The samples have therefore been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis and the final report is awaited,” it is specified.
The in-flight incident was classified as ‘serious’ and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India (AAIB) initiated proceedings. Both pilots were removed from the flight schedule pending the outcome of the investigation.
Air India confirmed in a statement on Sunday that a “post-flight drug test” had been carried out on the pilots, but clarified that the results had not been communicated to it.
This incident is the latest in a series of setbacks for the Indian company. Since taking over Air India in 2022, the Indian group Tata has launched a vast overhaul of the company, ordering hundreds of aircraft to modernize its aging fleet. But it faces persistent headwinds, including aircraft delivery delays and airspace closures caused by the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.
The biggest blow to the company’s image came in June 2025, when Air India Flight 171 — a London-bound Boeing 787 — crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board, as well as 19 people on the ground.
The company on Wednesday named former Ethiopian Airlines boss Tewolde Gebremariam, an industry veteran seen as capable of turning the company around, as its new chief executive.
