# Air India AI 2379 incident reclassified as serious, pilot drug test positive 2026-08-14T21:55:11+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The August 4 incident involving Air India flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi has been reclassified from 'turbulence' to a 'serious incident' after technical issues and a significant altitude deviation injured over 20 passengers and crew, The Hindu reports. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been ordered to probe swiftly, with assistance from France's BEA and Airbus technical representatives. Times Now reports the AAIB probe will examine multiple theories around the mid-air disruption, including fault warnings across hydraulic systems, elevator flight-control faults, autopilot disconnection, and engine anti-ice warnings. A second track of the investigation has emerged after the pilot-in-command tested positive for psychoactive substances in a post-flight screening, The Hindu reports. The Tata Group-Singapore Airlines joint venture has been directed to begin immediate mandatory screening of flight deck crew for such substances. The incident has exposed gaps in crew screening, which currently emphasises alcohol checks over psychoactive substance testing under Civil Aviation Requirements. The DGCA's 2021 medical circular on over-the-counter drugs highlights pilot impairment risks, citing the Mangaluru (2010) and Kozhikode (2020) fatal accidents. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - thehindu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-09-27T06:15:13+00:00. Tags: AAIB, Air India, DGCA, Ministry of Civil Aviation Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/aaib-ordered-to-probe-air-india-ai-2379-turbulence-incident/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/aaib-ordered-to-probe-air-india-ai-2379-turbulence-incident/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/