Pilot ‘smoked marijuana before flight that saw passengers injured by turbulence and was so stoned he could not stand straight’

An investigation has found that the pilot of an Air India flight that hit severe turbulence, injuring at least 12 people, was under the influence of marijuana at the time. Flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 travelling from Phuket, Thailand, to Delhi on 4 August, dropped suddenly around 90 minutes after take-off, throwing unbelted passengers against the cabin ceiling. Indian outlet NDTV reported the pilot had failed two drug tests after the incident, raising serious questions about crew screening and airline safety oversight.

Investigators reportedly found the pilot sitting on the cockpit floor when altitude-loss warnings sounded, and he was unable to stand unaided after landing, requiring assistance from an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau official even to provide a urine sample. He denied taking any psychotropic substances, but a passenger claimed he had appeared visibly high before departure and had asked travellers not to film him. The flight is said to have followed a crew party in Phuket hosted by the pilot, and a fellow crew member has reportedly filed a complaint over his alleged drug use. Air India described the episode as a "brief turbulence-related event" and pledged full cooperation with investigators, while the incident follows the airline's Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad last June that killed 260 people.