NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — The captain of an Air India flight that suddenly lost roughly 300 feet in altitude during severe turbulence is undergoing confirmatory drug testing after an initial post-flight screening flagged a result requiring further laboratory analysis, India’s Civil Aviation Ministry said Sunday.

The Airbus A320, operating as flight AI2379 from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members when it encountered severe turbulence over Odisha on August 4 and dropped about 300 feet during cruise before stabilizing and landing safely in Delhi. Seventeen passengers and crew members were injured in the incident, and several were taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.

According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, both pilots underwent mandatory post-flight screening for psychoactive substances, as required under applicable protocols. The co-pilot’s test did not raise concerns, but the pilot-in-command’s initial screening produced a result requiring confirmatory testing. “The screening test in respect of the Pilot-in-Command indicated a result requiring confirmatory testing,” the ministry said in a statement. “Samples have accordingly been sent to the designated laboratory for confirmatory analysis, and the final report is awaited.” The ministry cautioned that a screening result requiring further testing does not by itself establish the presence of a prohibited substance, and that no conclusions should be drawn until the confirmatory analysis is complete.

Air India said it had not yet received the test results and was therefore not in a position to comment on any findings. “We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols,” an airline spokesperson said. “However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are, therefore, not in a position to comment on any findings.” The airline added that it conducts regular drug testing of crew members in compliance with civil aviation regulations, independent of any specific flight or operational incident, and said it will continue cooperating with authorities.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has removed both pilots from the flying roster pending the outcome of the investigation. The flight has been formally classified as a “Serious Incident” and is under review by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is examining whether the pilots handled the turbulence appropriately, whether weather or other factors contributed to the sudden altitude loss, whether the aircraft sustained any damage — including possible hydraulic system failure — and whether the flight should have diverted to a closer airport, such as Varanasi or Lucknow, rather than continuing on to Delhi.

Captain CS Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, urged caution against drawing early conclusions while the confirmatory process remains incomplete, but noted the potential consequences if the final result comes back positive. “If the test seems positive, then the licence cancellation of the pilot can also take place because of this,” Randhawa told the Tribune.