NEW DELHI: The Captain of the Air India A-320 Phuket-Delhi flight that went through turbulence last week is reported to have said that he had sleep issues and he had been prescribed medication by his family doctor. The captain has been accused of consuming marijuana which is learnt to have been detected in his blood stream during tests.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in a statement said on Sunday that as part of the Standard Operating Procedures following such an occurrence, both flight pilots underwent the prescribed psychoactive substance screening test. The screening test in respect of the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing. As per reports the second pilot had to take control and steer the plane safely after a sudden altitude loss of 300 ft.
“I disclose, for completeness, that I had separately been experiencing sleep difficulty over a preceding period, related to personal circumstances, for which I had been prescribed medication by my family doctor. During the layover, I personally attempted rest; sleep did not come easily, and I judged that light activity such as walking would be constructive for sleep quality,” the pilot said in a flight safety statement as reported by NDTV. He also reportedly raised issues regarding roster duties.
A cabin crew member is learnt to have filed a complaint with Air India with regard to the pilot’s conduct saying he appeared disoriented. However, there were no answers on how this pilot was cleared in pre-flight tests. Also, it’s not clear if the pilot had declared his medical during pre-flight checkups. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) that is conducting the investigation has refused to say anything on this issue till the final outcome of the inquiry.
Aviation analyst Sanjay Lazar wrote on X that the pilot was duty bound to inform about his medications. He, however, said that a “preliminary report” allegedly submitted by Air India to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, as reported by a section of media, said of a “suspected transient technical fault ” adding this aspect is worth exploring.
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