India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau detailed a mid-air emergency aboard an Air India A320neo flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4. The aircraft briefly lost all three hydraulic systems within seconds, causing an autopilot disconnect and a stall warning. The first officer pitched the nose down in response, and the aircraft swung sharply around its assigned altitude. Because the seatbelt sign was not illuminated, unstrapped individuals were injured, totaling 24 people hurt—20 passengers and four cabin crew—with four classified as seriously injured. The aircraft interior also sustained extensive damage, and investigators noted thirteen separate warnings and faults recorded before the loss of altitude.
Following the flight, both pilots underwent psychoactive-substance screening, and the pilot-in-command tested non-negative, prompting the AAIB to ask India’s civil aviation regulator to take action. In response, Air India launched a policy of one hundred percent voluntary drug testing for pilots, expanding its screening protocols. The technical investigation into the hydraulic failure and stall event is ongoing, and authorities have not yet determined whether the fly-by-wire system, maintenance lapses, or another factor was responsible.