The captain of Air India tested positive for drugs, with cannabis detected in his system, after the plane he was flying suddenly dropped in altitude, causing injuries.
Foreign news agencies reported on 11 Aug 2026, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Air India captain on the Phuket-Delhi flight, which experienced a sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet last week resulting in multiple injuries, tested positive for cannabis in his body.
Another source stated that earlier the same day, India's Civil Aviation Ministry summoned Campbell Wilson, Air India's Chief Executive Officer, to discuss the incident involving the Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Air India and the Civil Aviation Ministry have not yet commented on the news, but Wilson told various news agencies that the airline has submitted a progress report of the investigation to the ministry.
The summons came just days after Indian authorities launched an investigation into the incident, which resulted in injuries to 13 passengers and 4 crew members.
Previously, the government stated that the flight, originating from the Thai tourist city, experienced a 'momentary altitude fluctuation' while flying over Odisha state in eastern India, but the aircraft carrying 137 passengers and 8 crew landed safely in Delhi.
On Sunday, the Civil Aviation Ministry revealed that the captain's preliminary psychoactive substance screening returned a positive result requiring confirmation through laboratory testing.
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Source:cna