Air India pilot tests positive after turbulence-hit flight
89 sourcesUpdated 11 Aug 2026, 12:33 pmCoverage regionsDelhi · Global · India · Uttar Pradesh
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Air India said the pilot-in-command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive in a post-flight screening.
Officials said the confirmatory test was positive for marijuana after an initial non-negative result.
The flight dropped 300 feet and injured 24 people.
Both pilots have been off-rostered pending an AAIB probe.
More context
A preliminary defect report also mentioned technical issues, including autopilot disconnection.
AGREEMENT VS DISAGREEMENT
What lines up. What splits.
A quick read on shared facts, changing details, and different emphasis.
What coverage agrees on
The reporting broadly agrees that the Air India flight lost altitude, injured passengers, and triggered a post-flight investigation involving the pilot and the AAIB.
What is changing or disputed
Some details remain subject to the ongoing AAIB investigation, including the second test result and the role of any technical issues mentioned in the preliminary report.
HOW COVERAGE DIFFERS
Same story. Different emphasis.
Swipe through the perspectives. Labels describe coverage framing, not truth or quality.
Neutral3
The neutral framing focuses on the sequence of events: a turbulence-hit Air India flight lost altitude, injured people, and led to a drug screening of the pilot. It notes that officials reported a positive confirmatory result for marijuana after an initial non-negative screen. The reporting also mentions the AAIB takeover and the temporary removal of both pilots from rostered duties. Technical issues were mentioned in a preliminary defect report, but they are not described as settled findings.
Hindustan Times reports that the pilot-in-command of an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi that rapidly lost altitude tested positive for a psychoactive substance during a post-flight screening. Officials stated the confirmatory test returned positive for marijuana after an initial non-negative result. The flight dropped 300 feet, injuring 24 people, and both pilots have been off-rostered pending an AAIB probe. The preliminary defect report also mentioned technical issues like autopilot disconnection.
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Zee News reports that the pilot of the Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, which lost 300 feet of altitude during turbulence and injured multiple people, failed a second dope test indicating marijuana use. Sources claimed the pilot tested positive initially and again subsequently, leading to his removal from the roster. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the ministry summoned Air India outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson and that the AAIB is investigating the incident.
Times Now reports on the Ministry of Civil Aviation stating that the investigation into the Air India flight AI2379 incident has been handed over to the AAIB. The ministry noted that results for the second psychoactive substance test for the pilot-in-command are awaited, following a screening test that required confirmatory analysis. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu detailed the injuries sustained by passengers and crew members during the sudden altitude drop, while the airline confirmed that all hospitalized passengers had been discharged.
Everyside groups reporting about the same event and shows the publisher orientation attached to each source. These labels describe publisher orientation, not the truth, quality or framing of an individual article.