Air India AI-2379 Incident: AAIB Finds PIC Tested Positive for Psychoactive Substance

According to the preliminary report released on September 04, 2026, the AAIB observed that the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) “was found non-negative for psycho-active substance in the confirmatory” test.

Air India flight AI-2379 was flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, 2026, when it abruptly dropped about 300 feet in altitude during its cruise phase. The sudden altitude loss injured at least 17 people on board, including passengers and crew members. Some of those injured suffered spinal and neck trauma.

The airline said there were no serious injuries and that passengers and crew members requiring assessment were taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination.

The AAIB preliminary report states that a detailed investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is underway. The confirmation of the use of psycho-active substances has emerged as a serious concern, and the AAIB has recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action on priority.

The preliminary report has been published in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines. The investigation remains in progress, while the final report will be published in due course.

In a separate development ahead of the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight assessment of India’s aviation regulator DGCA, scheduled for November, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the regulator to conduct audits of major airlines, with a focus on their engineering processes and other safety-related aspects.

The Ministry-directed exercise covers major carriers, including IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet. Sources told Times Now that audits of all four airlines have been completed and their findings have been reviewed by the regulator.

During the audits, the DGCA identified serious observations at major airlines, according to sources. The exact nature and details of the observations have not been disclosed at this stage, but sources indicated that the regulator flagged significant issues during the inspections.

The AAIB’s preliminary findings into the AI-2379 incident and the DGCA’s audit observations come as aviation safety oversight remains under scrutiny, with the final investigation into the August 04 incident still underway.