Air India A320 lost altitude after hydraulic failure: Airbus

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.