What happened
Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi dropped about 300 feet at cruise on 4 August 2026, injuring 13 passengers and 4 crew. One Mile at a Time reports an Airbus A320neo operated the 1,972-mile flight with 145 people onboard. The injured were hospitalized after landing and are expected to fully recover.
The seatbelt sign was off, contributing to injuries as the jet exceeded its -1g structural limit. The aircraft logged 13 technical faults in the 80 minutes before the drop, among them door-arming and hydraulic warnings. The first officer was flying and pushed the nose down in a stall-recovery response, producing the altitude loss.
Both pilots were drug-tested after landing. The captain tested positive for marijuana. A second test confirmed it. One Mile at a Time stresses there is no evidence the captain was impaired in flight. Marijuana can remain detectable for weeks, and off-duty use would still break the rules.
Points travelers who fly Air India should note a cruise upset tied to clustered technical warnings and a failed crew drug test. Watch the official investigation into AI2379's technical faults and do not assume the captain was impaired in the air.
- Numbers
- 300 feet: sudden altitude loss at cruise
- 13 passengers: passengers injured
- 145 people: people onboard
- 13 failures: technical failures before the drop
- 80 minutes: window of technical failures before the drop
- 1,972 miles: flight distance
- -1g: structural limit exceeded during the event
- Where
- Phuket (HKT), Delhi (DEL)
- Takeaway
- Nothing to book; watch the official investigation into AI2379’s technical faults and do not assume the captain was impaired in the air.