Air India Pilot Fired After Flight Suffered Hydraulic Failure and Altitude Upset
2 sources across 2 countries · India · Pakistan
Who reported this
- Hindustan Times
- Dawn
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Air India has terminated a captain after a preliminary investigation revealed he tested positive for psychoactive substances following a serious midair incident on August 4. The Airbus A320, traveling from Phuket to New Delhi with 137 passengers and eight crew members, suffered a temporary loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at 36,000 feet. This failure triggered an altitude upset where the aircraft gained 372 feet and then fell 292 feet, injuring 24 people who were not wearing seat belts.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau reported that the hydraulic loss caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered a two second stall warning before the systems recovered and the aircraft returned to normal operation. While the pilot in command tested positive for psychoactive substances in a confirmatory test, the preliminary report did not establish a link between the substance and the technical failure. The co pilot tested negative for such substances.
Air India stated the pilot was terminated with immediate effect as part of a zero tolerance approach to safety violations. The airline has since ordered mandatory drug screening for all pilots, and the Indian aviation ministry is considering tighter screening rules. Airbus and France's BEA are assisting in the ongoing investigation.
Coverage of the event differed in focus based on political lean. A center left source framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of setbacks for Air India, mentioning a previous fatal crash and the appointment of a new chief executive. A center right source focused more heavily on the technical sequence of the hydraulic failure and included expert analysis on how the aircraft's physical response likely caused the injuries.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Framed the incident as another failure in a series of setbacks for the airline's management and image.
- Centre-right
- Focused on the technical specifics of the hydraulic failure and the mechanics of the altitude upset.
Sources
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