Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:33am on 13 Aug 2026,Thursday India
The Air India commander of flight AI2379, which suddenly lost altitude on the Phuket-Delhi route on August 4, told investigators he had been struggling with sleep due to personal circumstances and had taken medication prescribed by his family doctor. Two people familiar with his questioning said he slept for 30–35 minutes during the flight before returning to the cockpit. The first officer was flying when the altitude event occurred, while the commander was monitoring. The pilot’s confirmatory drug test was positive for cannabis after an initial “non-negative” screening. Investigators also examined nine aircraft warning messages involving hydraulic systems, autopilot and elevator controls recorded within a minute during the altitude drop. The aircraft lost about 360 feet. (PC: X)
