Pilot 'smoked marijuana before flight that saw passengers injured by turbulence and was so stoned he could not stand straight'

Published: 12:17, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 12:18, 12 August 2026 The pilot of an Air India flight that experienced extreme turbulence and left passengers injured was high on marijuana while flying the plane, an investigation found.  The Airbus A320, bound for Delhi, India, hit turbulence around 90 minutes after taking off from Phuket, Thailand, on Tuesday August 4.  The 134 passengers on board flight AI2379 felt a sudden drop, caused by a change in altitude, leaving those who weren't wearing seatbelts to hit their heads on the cabin's ceiling.  The incident left at least 12 passengers and crew members injured, who were captured being rushed off the tarmac of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport by emergency services. Indian news outlet NDTV has now revealed the pilot flying the plane was found to have been high on marijuana during the flight and had failed two drug tests.  It emerged the pilot was found sitting on the cockpit floor when the aircraft's warning signals started, alerting the crew that altitude was being lost.  He was then unable to stand straight when the plane landed, while an investigator from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau had to help him sit down.  The investigator had to then assist the pilot in providing his urine sample.  The aircraft was cruising at altitude when it hit the terrifying turbulence, which also left cracks in the plane's interior Injured passengers and flight crew were seen being wheeled into ambulances that had rushed to the airport's tarmac, some with bandages on their heads The pilot failed both drug tests, sources told NDTV, as they tested positive for marijuana. The pilot denied consuming any psychotropic substances.  One passenger told NDTV the pilot was visibly high before the plane took off and had asked the passengers not to record anything, saying 'baat ka batangad ban jayega' ('it would be making a mountain out of a molehill'.)  He described boarding the plane with his brother, and asking the pilot whether the pair were late.  '[The pilot] was very slow to respond and his eyes were red,' the passenger said. 'I told my brother then that he seemed high, and you all know what happened after that.'  The flight allegedly followed a crew party in Phuket, hosted by the pilot, during a layover of less than 24 hours.  One of the crew members is said to have filed a complaint against the pilot for his alleged marijuana use.   The aircraft was cruising at altitude when it hit the terrifying turbulence, which also left cracks in the plane's interior.  Footage captured terrified passengers, including a man with his arm in a sling, looking on as the plane shakes.  Footage captures terrified passengers, including a man wearing his arm in a sling, looking on as the plane shakes One passenger described the aircraft shaking for around two to three minutes while the plane was tilted. He added many passengers were sleeping at the time. Air India said the early morning flight hit a 'brief turbulence-related event' while cruising. They blamed a sudden change in altitude before the crew were able to control the aircraft. A spokesperson for the airline said at the time the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew was its main priority, adding they will provide the 'necessary support' for those affected. They also added Air India will co-operate 'fully' with authorities as part of the investigation. This comes after an Air India plane crashed last June, killing 260 people. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college 32 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in India on June 12. A total of 241 passengers were killed as well as 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger – British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh – survived. Of the passengers, 53 were British. A preliminary report into the tragedy revealed that before the crash, two fuel switches – which are used to start or shut down the engines and are typically left on during flight – were moved from 'Run' to 'Cutoff', depriving the engines of fuel. The report also revealed there had been confusion in the cockpit when Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his co-pilot Clive Kunder, 28, realised the fault, before desperate attempts were made to flick them back. Air India has been contacted for comment.