The plane fell 300 feet mid-air and 24 people were injured. (ANI Photo/ Image enhanced using AI)Air India on Friday terminated the services of the pilot of Phuket-Delhi flight who had tested positive for drug use, the airline said in a statement“Safety remains Air India’s highest priority. The Pilot-in-Command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a psychoactive substance. In line with Air India’s zero-tolerance approach to violation of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements, the pilot’s employment has been terminated with immediate effect,” an Air India statement read.Earlier today, a preliminary report on the investigation into the August 4 incident of altitude loss by Air India Airbus A320 aircraft VT-EXO, flying from Phuket to Delhi, has flagged a sudden hydraulic systems failure and the non-negative drug test report of the pilot-in-command (PIC).The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is probing the incident, issued a recommendation to regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take actions deemed fit to prevent abuse of psychoactive substances.While the investigation remains underway and the preliminary report hasn’t identified any definitive likely cause, it focussed on a sudden and brief triple hydraulic failure and the PIC’s drug test. On August 14, The Indian Express had reported that an initial assessment of the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) data by Airbus had indicated that the aircraft experienced a temporary loss of all three hydraulic systems, which led to loss of key aircraft control surfaces for a few seconds.Sukalp Sharma is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 16 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More