{
  "id": 681793,
  "title": "Air India Phuket-Delhi pilot had sleep issues, was on medication before flight: Report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/air-india-phuket-delhi-pilot-had-sleep-issues-was-on-medication",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-12T16:35:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/air-india-phuket-delhi-pilot-had-sleep-issues-was-on-medication-before-flight-11786551373903.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Air India pilot who experienced an altitude loss during a Phuket-Delhi flight on August 4th disclosed to investigators that he had been dealing with sleep difficulties and had been taking medication prescribed by a family doctor before the flight. The report, shared by Hindustan Times, comes after a non-negative result from a drug screening conducted post-flight, which later tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory test. The pilot's account of his sleep problems and medication were given to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) during their inquiry into the incident that occurred while the Airbus A320neo was cruising. The pilot attributed his sleep issues to personal circumstances and stated that he had been prescribed medication by a family doctor to address the problem. The nature of the medication taken by the pilot remains undisclosed in the report, and it is unclear whether the medication had any connection to the marijuana finding or if either factor contributed to the flight's altitude loss. Both pilots have been removed from the flying roster while the investigation continues.",
  "summary": "Air India’s Phuket-Delhi pilot who tested positive for marijuana told AAIB he had sleep difficulties and was taking medication prescribed by a family doctor.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Air India Phuket-Delhi flight’s pilot was on medication for sleep difficulty, slept 30-35 minutes during journey: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/air-india-phuket-delhi-flights-pilot-was-on-medication-for-sleep",
        "published": "2026-08-13T06:53:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}