Air India Phuket-Delhi jet lost flight control for 4 seconds: Interim Airbus probe

The Air India Airbus A320 aircraft, which was en route to Delhi from Phuket on August 4, experienced a sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet. The airline had initially attributed the incident to severe turbulence.The DGCA has been asked to review dope-test rules for pilots after the Air India sudden drop incident.Initial findings by Airbus have revealed that control was lost for about four seconds on the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude on August 4. Following an analysis of the flight data recorder, Airbus revealed that flight controls on AI 2379 were briefly lost after all three hydraulic systems experienced losses. Multiple hydraulic failures can cause loss of altitude.The Air India Airbus A320 aircraft, which was headed to Delhi from Phuket on August 4, encountered a sudden altitude drop of about 300 feet. It left 20 passengers and four cabin crew members severely injured. Seventeen people had to be hospitalised.The aircraft, which had 137 passengers, later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi.WHAT AIRBUS FOUND IN ITS PROBE?Air India had initially attributed the incident to severe turbulence. Airbus, which is the manufacturer of the aircraft, and the French aviation accident investigation authority are assisting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the investigation. Citing the post-flight maintenance report, sources said 11 system alerts were recorded within a span of two to three minutes.In its initial probe, Airbus said elevators and ailerons, which control an aircraft's pitch and roll, were unavailable for about four seconds. The autopilot also briefly disengaged. The hydraulic systems eventually recovered. In an aircraft, hydraulic systems provide the force needed to move key flight controls and other aircraft components.Airbus also pointed to a "full nose-down input" as the flight lost altitude. It basically means the aircraft received a command to lower its nose, causing the aircraft to pitch downward.Admitting technical glitches in connection with the incident, Airbus has asked Air India to carry out a detailed inspection of the aircraft. It is, however, yet to identify the root cause behind the incident."We understand that the flight encountered a sudden loss of altitude on August 4, resulting in injuries on board... checks on the plane's systems and sensors are needed to provide more information about the incident," Airbus said in its communication to Air India.Apart from technical glitches on the aircraft, the incident has grabbed attention after the captain of the flight tested positive for marijuana. However, it does not alone prove that the pilot was impaired or that it was a factor in what happened on the flight.Both pilots, however, have been de-rostered pending investigation. Following the incident, Air India has ordered mandatory dope test for all its pilots, according to an internal communication seen by Reuters. - EndsPublished On: Aug 14, 2026 10:25 IST