Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Air India will conduct mandatory screening of all its pilots for substances and medications prohibited under prevailing regulations, according to an internal communication seen by news agency Reuters. The airline said the testing, which goes beyond existing regulatory requirements, will begin on Thursday.
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of pilot fitness at Air India following the August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight incident, in which the aircraft experienced a sudden altitude variation of about 300 feet during cruise.
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The Airbus A320, operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi, later stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. The aircraft was carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members. Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members were injured in the incident, according to the latest official figures.
The Phuket-Delhi incident came under further scrutiny after both pilots underwent mandatory psychoactive-substance screening following the flight.
The pilot-in-command’s initial screening indicated a positive result, prompting a confirmatory test at a designated laboratory, which also came back positive for marijuana, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Both pilots were subsequently removed from the flying roster pending completion of the investigation and testing process.
The positive test has also prompted the government to look at whether India’s existing framework for testing pilots and other flying crew for psychoactive substances needs to be strengthened.
The government has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to review the dope-testing framework, including testing protocols followed in other countries, and assess whether India’s existing system needs to be strengthened or reframed, sources in the Ministry of Civil Aviation told India Today.
Under the current DGCA framework, aviation personnel who test positive for psychoactive substances are referred for a rehabilitation programme. A second positive test can result in suspension of the person’s licence for three years, while a third violation can lead to cancellation of the licence.
The ministry is examining whether the existing regulatory framework is adequate. Any changes to the dope-testing rules will be considered after the DGCA completes its review of international practices, a senior ministry source said.
Sources have also indicated that a more stringent framework, tougher enforcement and exemplary punishment for established violations are being considered.
AIR INDIA GOES BEYOND EXISTING RULES
Against that backdrop, Air India’s decision to screen its entire pilot workforce goes beyond what is currently required under aviation regulations.
The internal communication says all pilots will undergo mandatory screening for prohibited substances or medications, with the expanded testing beginning Thursday.
The move effectively puts the airline’s own pilot screening measures ahead of the existing regulatory requirements as the government reviews whether those rules need to be tightened.
The government is also looking at how psychoactive-substance testing is conducted in other countries before deciding whether India’s framework needs to be changed.
11 ALERTS, 3 HYDRAULIC WARNINGS
The pilot’s drug test is only one part of the investigation into AI2379.
A post-flight maintenance report reviewed by India Today recorded 11 system alerts within a span of two to three minutes, including three hydraulic low-pressure warnings followed by an autopilot disconnection, according to sources familiar with the probe.
The three hydraulic warnings were recorded within about a minute and involved the aircraft’s green, yellow and blue hydraulic systems.
The autopilot was then recorded as having disengaged shortly after the hydraulic alerts. Investigators are examining whether the sequence had any connection with the turbulence-related altitude variation later experienced by the aircraft.
The maintenance record also contained warnings relating to the aircraft’s emergency exit doors and other systems during the same period.
AUTOPILOT DISCONNECTED AGAIN BEFORE LANDING
A second autopilot-off entry appears in the maintenance record at 5:22 GMT (10:52 am), before the aircraft landed in Delhi.
The entry indicates that the autopilot had been restored or re-engaged at some point after its initial disconnection and was subsequently switched off again before landing, according to sources.
Despite the multiple alerts, the aircraft remained airborne for nearly one hour and 20 minutes after the initial hydraulic warnings before landing safely in Delhi.
The post-flight maintenance report has been handed over to the DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), sources said.
AAIB PROBE TO BE EXPEDITED
The government is now also set to ask the AAIB to expedite its investigation into the incident, with an interim report expected within a month, government sources told India Today.
Investigators have access to key evidence including the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), along with medical examination records and testimonies being collected as part of the probe.
Sources said the government wants the analysis of the FDR and CVR data to be fast-tracked so that the circumstances surrounding the altitude variation can be established without delay.
The AAIB is being assisted by France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) and aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
The AAIB has maintained that its investigation is examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence and has cautioned against drawing conclusions from isolated pieces of information while the probe is underway.
The bureau is examining aircraft systems, flight data, operational and maintenance records, medical information and interviews as part of the investigation.
The Phuket-Delhi incident has therefore widened into two parallel questions: what caused the aircraft’s sudden altitude variation, and whether India’s rules for detecting and dealing with psychoactive-substance use by pilots need to be tougher.
Air India’s decision to screen all pilots marks the airline’s immediate response, while the government’s review of the DGCA framework could determine whether the change extends beyond Air India to the wider aviation sector.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
