Air India CEO in talks with aviation regulators over Phuket flight incident
New Delhi: Air India's outgoing chief executive officer, Campbell Wilson, reportedly met senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday amid the ongoing investigation into last week's turbulence incident involving a Phuket-Delhi flight.
According to news agency ANI, Wilson held discussions with the officials regarding the flight that suddenly lost about 300 feet of altitude. However, Reuters reported, citing sources, that the civil aviation minister had summoned the CEO. Neither the airline nor the government has issued an official confirmation about the meeting or the summon.
The meeting comes a day after the government advanced its probe into the incident, which occurred on August 4. The flight, operating as AI 2379, was carrying 145 passengers and crew from Phuket to Delhi when it experienced a sudden drop in altitude, resulting in injuries to several people on board. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, but 17 individuals were hospitalised.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has classified the incident as serious and is examining the circumstances surrounding the sudden descent. Investigators are looking into both potential mechanical issues and pilot behaviour. They are also expected to analyse the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder to establish the sequence of events.
Separately, the pilot-in-command of the flight is under scrutiny after his psychoactive substance screening test conducted upon arrival returned a result described as “not negative.” The sample has been sent to a designated laboratory for confirmatory testing. The aviation ministry stated that the final report is awaited, and “further action, as appropriate, will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation and confirmatory test results.”
Under DGCA rules, a pilot whose initial screening is non-negative must be immediately removed from safety-sensitive duties until the confirmatory report is received. Both pilots of the flight have been taken off flying duty pending the investigation.
The AAIB probe is expected to determine whether the sudden altitude loss was a result of technical failure, crew actions, or other factors. The incident has raised questions about flight safety procedures and the adequacy of pilot monitoring. The aviation regulator and the ministry are likely to release further details as the investigation progresses.
