NEW DELHI - The captain of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude last week has tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, multiple Indian media outlets reported on Tuesday.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier in the day, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation summoned Air India CEO Campbell Wilson over the incident, which involved an Airbus A320neo aircraft. The ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The summons came days after Indian authorities opened an investigation into the incident, which injured 13 passengers and four crew members.
The flight from the Thai tourist island on Aug 4 experienced a “momentary altitude variation” while it was flying over the eastern Indian state of Odisha, the government had said earlier.
The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, landed safely in Delhi. On Sunday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the captain’s initial screening for psychoactive substances produced a result requiring confirmatory laboratory testing.
NDTV quoted sources as saying on Tuesday that the second test was also positive. “Specifically, the test reportedly confirmed that the pilot had smoked marijuana,” it said.
Air India had said it had not been informed of the results. The airline is majority-owned by the Tata Group, with Singapore Airlines holding a roughly 25% stake.
