# Passenger alleges Air India pilot was intoxicated during severe turbulence 2026-08-10T02:52:13+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi experienced severe turbulence on August 4, dropping 300 feet and injuring several passengers. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has classified it as a serious incident and is investigating. Passenger Shrikant Jha alleged the pilot appeared intoxicated based on his walk and speech, and that no medical help was available for hours after landing. Jha, a US resident, has filed complaints with Air Sewa and the US embassy. The civil aviation ministry on Sunday said the pilot's initial psychoactive substance screening test indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing, with final results awaited. Air India stated the test result has not been shared with the airline. Another passenger, Renu Raniwala, said she injured two ribs protecting her grandson during the drop and that passengers received no care for two to three hours after landing. The ministry confirmed 137 passengers, three infants, and eight crew were on board. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - hindustantimes.com - republicworld.com Tags: Air India, DGCA, flight safety, passenger complaint, Phuket-Delhi, turbulence Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-flight-hit-severe-turbulence-passenger-recounts-panic/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/air-india-flight-hit-severe-turbulence-passenger-recounts-panic/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.