NEW DELHl: An Air India flight that injured passengers when it plunged mid-air last month suffered a temporary loss of hydraulic systems, investigators said on Friday, as the airline fired the captain who tested positive for psychoactive substances.
The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, suddenly lost altitude on Aug 4 while flying from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, injuring 24 people before stabilising and landing safely.
India’s civil aviation ministry classified it as a ‘serious incident’.
Both Airbus and France’s civil aviation safety agency, the BEA, said they are assisting the Indian investigation into the flight.
A preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the flight control network detected the loss of three hydraulic systems for several seconds.
‘The aircraft encountered altitude upset,’ it read. ‘Initially, it gained 372 feet and fell by 292 feet,’ it added.
The hydraulic failure caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered a two-second stall warning, before the systems recovered and the aircraft returned to normal operation, the report said.
The inquiry also said the pilot in command ‘was found non-negative for psycho-active substance in the confirmatory test’.
‘The confirmation of use of psycho-active substance is a serious concern,’ the report read.-AFP