After Air India began conducting dope tests on over 5,000 of its pilots, unconfirmed reports have emerged that two more of its pilots have failed the dope test. A second test is being carried out for them, according to reports.
The two pilots have been de-rostered after the first test showed traces of drugs.
Air India ordered all its pilots to get the drug test as part of the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), after the incident on Air India Phuket-Delhi flight. The Airbus A320 dropped about 300 feet this month, injuring 24 people on board during the flight. No link between the test result and the altitude loss to date, but Air India went ahead with the new norms of testing pilots.
As of now, two pilots have failed the test, and a second test is now underway to determine if they are using any narcotic substance, such as marijuana or cannabis. This will confirm whether they are using any dry intoxicant or whether they failed the first test due to consumption of painkillers or other medications, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the preliminary Airbus analysis of the incident highlighted that the plane registered losses in all three hydraulic systems, which use pressurised fluid to power flight controls and other equipment, in quick succession. This left the pilots unable to use the elevators and ailerons, movable parts on the wings and tail that control whether the plane points up or down and banks left or right, according to Reuters.
This caused the aircraft to pitch upwards, prompting the first officer to apply full nose-down input. However, there was no " direct response" from the flight-control surfaces before
the hydraulic systems recovered within seconds. The Airbus assessment has not established what caused the loss of hydraulic pressure.
Though Air India initially described the event as turbulence-related, it later retracted it, terming that the aircraft suffered a sudden loss of altitude. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating, with technical assistance from Airbus and France's BEA.
