The incident occurred on August 4 on an Air India Airbus A320 flight from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi, India. There were 137 passengers and eight crew members on board, according to the news agency Reuters.
According to a preliminary report from the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the plane was flying at nearly 11 kilometers altitude at the time.
People hit the ceiling
The problems started unexpectedly. The aircraft initially climbed about 113 meters, then descended about 89 meters below the previous flight altitude.
Due to sudden aircraft movements, passengers and crew were thrown from their seats and hit the overhead luggage compartments. At that time, the seatbelt sign was not on.
Twenty-four people were injured during the incident. Initially, the case was classified as a serious incident, but later investigators reclassified it as an aviation event officially categorized as an accident.
Pressure in all three systems disappeared within seconds
According to the investigation, within four seconds the aircraft control system recorded a loss of pressure in all three hydraulic systems. Hydraulic systems use compressed fluid to control the aircraft’s control surfaces and other critical equipment.
When the systems failed, the autopilot disengaged, and a continuous warning alarm sounded in the cockpit. Also, a warning indicating the danger of the aircraft losing lift was triggered for two seconds.
About nine seconds after the initial failure, the hydraulic systems began to recover. However, analysis by Airbus showed that for about four seconds the pilots could not properly control the elevators and ailerons, which are used to control the aircraft’s climb, descent, and roll.
Why pressure was lost almost simultaneously in all three systems is still unknown. The investigation is ongoing.
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Attention also turned to the pilot
The aircraft was being flown by a 32-year-old co-pilot during the incident. Later, control was taken over by the 34-year-old captain. Both pilots have been interviewed by investigators.
The report also states that upon confirmation testing, the captain’s psychoactive substance test result was “not negative.” The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau did not disclose which specific substance was detected. However, a Reuters source familiar with the investigation said it could have been marijuana.
Such a result does not by itself indicate when the substance was used or whether it affected the pilot’s abilities during the incident. These circumstances are also being investigated.
The investigation bureau urged the Indian aviation regulatory authority to urgently take measures to prevent psychoactive substance use among pilots. The bureau called this case a serious cause for concern.
After the incident, Air India decided to conduct a one-time mandatory drug test for all its pilots. India is also considering annual testing of all pilots – currently, such tests are conducted annually for one-tenth of them.
The airline is again in the spotlight
Air India stated it is fully cooperating with investigators and providing access to flight, maintenance, and other necessary data.
The latest incident has increased pressure on the company, which has been closely monitored since the Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025. That crash killed 260 people.
The preliminary report on the new incident did not include recommendations for the aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Investigators continue to clarify why all three hydraulic systems recorded pressure loss almost simultaneously and why the operation of the aircraft’s critical control devices was disrupted for several seconds.
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