# Air India A320 lost altitude after hydraulic failure: Airbus 2026-08-15T01:07:46+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Airbus’s preliminary analysis found that an Air India A320neo on the August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight AI2379 lost pressure in all three hydraulic systems within two seconds, causing a loss of elevators and ailerons for about four seconds and a sudden 300-foot drop in altitude. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the incident with Airbus and France's BEA. Twenty-four of the 145 people on board were injured; the plane landed safely in Delhi. Separately, the captain of the flight initially tested non-negative and is reported by The New Indian Express to have later tested positive for marijuana on a confirmatory test. Both pilots were grounded. Air India has ordered one-time psychoactive substance screening of all its 5,000 pilots and those of Air India Express, moving beyond the annual regulatory minimum of 10% random testing. The New Indian Express questions whether the current framework, which relies on random tests, can detect unfit pilots before a flight, particularly at international outstations. The AAIB continues its investigation. ## Coverage - thefederal.com - newindianexpress.com Tags: AAIB, Air India, Airbus A320, Phuket, Tata group Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/airbus-finds-air-india-flight-lost-controls-for-4-seconds-after-hydraulic-failure/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/airbus-finds-air-india-flight-lost-controls-for-4-seconds-after-hydraulic-failure/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.