Air India plane plunges 90 meters in mid-air. Captain was high on cannabis

A drug test conducted on the captain of Air India flight AI2379 has revealed that he had used cannabis. The captain was tested after the plane plunged about 90 meters for unknown reasons on the Phuket-Delhi route on August 4, The Straits Times reported.

The incident is being investigated by India’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The Airbus SE A320 was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members and several passengers and cabin crew were injured.

An Air India spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the pilot’s drug test result. Under Indian aviation regulator rules, an employee who tests positive for the first time is sent to a rehab or rehabilitation program and must provide a clean sample to return to safety-related work.

A second positive test results in a three-year license suspension and a third results in permanent revocation of the license. The Straits Times wrote that the incident will increase pressure on Air India, owned by the Tata Group, which posted a loss of 220 billion rupees in the financial year ended March 31.