Delhi-Phuket flight turbulence: Pilot consumed marijuana and sleeping pills, shocking details surface

NEW DELHI: The pilot of the Air India flight that lost control was reportedly taking medication for a sleep disorder. A drug test conducted yesterday revealed that the pilot had consumed marijuana. This was followed by the company's internal security report, which revealed that the pilot was suffering from sleep problems and had taken medication for it. The news was reported by the national media outlet NDTV.

The pilot said that he was suffering from insomnia due to personal problems and was taking medication for it. He wanted to sleep during his rest hours and tried walking, but to no avail. The plane, which he was flying from Phuket, Thailand, with 137 passengers on board, reached a depth of 300 feet midway through the flight. 13 passengers and four flight attendants were injured. Two of them are in serious condition.

Aviation Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the DGCA are investigating the incident. As part of this, the pilots were subjected to drug tests. As soon as it was found that they had used drugs, the pilot was immediately removed from duty as per DGCA norms. He will be sent to a compulsory drug rehabilitation centre. He will be allowed to return to work only if he passes the re-test after rehabilitation. If the offence is repeated, the licence will be suspended for several years or cancelled forever.