New Delhi: An Air India flight that injured passengers when it plunged midair last month suffered a temporary loss of hydraulic systems, investigators have said, as the airline fired the captain who tested positive for psychoactive substances.

The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, suddenly lost altitude on August 4 while flying from Phuket to New Delhi, injuring 24 people before stabilising and landing safely. A preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said the flight-control system detected the loss of three hydraulic systems for several seconds. The hydraulic failure caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered a two-second stall warning before the systems recovered.

The report also said the pilot in command "was found non-negative for psycho-active substance in the confirmatory test." An Air India spokesperson said the pilot has been "terminated with immediate effect" in line with the company's zero-tolerance approach to safety violations. Following the incident, India's aviation ministry said regulators were considering tighter screening rules for psychoactive substances.

Air India ordered a mandatory one-time drug screening of all pilots last month. The investigation is the latest challenge for Air India, owned by the Tata Group, which appointed Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive last month.

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