Questions Remain Over Cause Of Air India Incident Amid Turbulence Speculation

Questions have emerged over the circumstances surrounding a Phuket-Delhi Air India flight that encountered severe turbulence while flying over Odisha, leaving 17 passengers and crew members injured. While the incident was initially attributed to turbulence, reports have suggested that a possible triple hydraulic failure may have contributed to a sudden drop in the aircraft's altitude. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under scrutiny.

The Civil Aviation Ministry's note on the incident has also drawn attention because it did not use the word “turbulence” while describing what happened to the Airbus A320 over Odisha. The omission has added to questions about whether the aircraft experienced a more serious technical problem. However, the available information does not establish that a triple hydraulic failure was definitively responsible for the incident.

Questions have also been raised about the pilot's actions if a major technical failure had occurred during the flight. In such a situation, aviation procedures would require the flight crew to prioritise maintaining control of the aircraft and assessing the safest course of action. The circumstances surrounding reports that the pilot was seen at the rear of the aircraft have therefore become another point of discussion.

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Another issue under scrutiny is the decision to continue the flight towards Delhi rather than diverting to the nearest suitable airport after the reported incident. If the aircraft had suffered a serious technical failure, the decision to continue the journey would require examination of the aircraft's condition, operational procedures and information available to the crew at the time. The available account, however, does not provide enough information to establish why that decision was made.

The pilot-in-command also reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances during post-flight screening conducted in Delhi. However, a positive initial urine screening does not by itself establish that the pilot had consumed recreational drugs before operating the aircraft. Further testing is required, and the final results are awaited before conclusions can be drawn about the significance of the screening result.

The incident has therefore raised several questions involving the aircraft's technical condition, the crew's actions and the post-flight screening of the pilot. With the final test results and further investigation still awaited, the available information does not conclusively establish whether turbulence, a technical malfunction or another factor caused the sudden change in the aircraft's altitude and the injuries reported on board.

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