A maintenance report from Air India flight AI2379, which operated from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, indicates that the aircraft recorded multiple technical warnings around the time it experienced a sudden 300-foot loss of altitude during cruise.

The incident injured several passengers and crew members. Air India initially described the event as turbulence-related before removing the reference to turbulence from its later statement.

The Airbus A320neo was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 11:07 am, according to Air India’s updated statement.

Air India changed its description of the incident

The maintenance report was printed in the cockpit at 11:14 am after the aircraft landed in Delhi.

At 1:14 pm, Air India said the aircraft had experienced a “brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise”, resulting in a momentary change in altitude. The airline initially said that a small number of passengers and crew members had minor injuries and were taken for medical assessment.

Five hours later, at 6:55 pm, Air India issued an updated statement. The reference to turbulence was removed, with the airline instead describing the incident as a “sudden loss of altitude during cruise”.

The revised statement said 13 passengers and four crew members sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical evaluation.

However, the statement did not mention the hydraulic warnings or other technical issues recorded in the maintenance report.

Multiple hydraulic warnings were recorded

According to the report, warnings indicating low pressure appeared in all three hydraulic systems at around 9:32 am. Low fluid levels were also recorded in two hydraulic reservoirs.

The report also indicated that the autopilot disconnected at around the same time and that faults were flagged in the aircraft’s left and right elevator controls.

Further warnings followed. At 9:33 am, a warning was recorded for the right front emergency exit door, while another warning involving the right rear door appeared at 9:35 am.

At 10:16 am, the aircraft’s Engine 1 anti-ice system recorded a fault linked to a valve pressure issue. The autopilot disconnected again at 10:52 am.

A warning on an aircraft maintenance report does not necessarily mean that a system completely failed. However, the combination of hydraulic, flight-control and autopilot warnings is significant and would warrant investigation by aviation safety and maintenance authorities.

Pilots derostered pending inquiry

The incident is also being examined in connection with the pilots.

Both pilots of the Phuket-Delhi flight have been derostered pending an inquiry.

The pilot in command, Sudeep Vashistha, reportedly tested positive for psychoactive substances during post-flight screening in Delhi. A subsequent test was also reportedly positive, with sources saying it confirmed marijuana use.

Vashistha had also disclosed in an internal flight safety statement that he had been experiencing sleep difficulties and had been prescribed medication by his family doctor.

Sources said the pilot was not in his seat alongside the co-pilot when the aircraft suddenly dropped 300 feet. The pilot and objects inside the cockpit reportedly floated up during the sudden altitude change, while passengers who were not strapped in at the rear suffered injuries.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a pilot project to collect cow urine from farmers in Bulandshahr, with the initiative aimed at creating an additional source of income for farmers and rural women while helping maintain cows that are no longer producing milk.

The collected cow urine is expected to be used as a raw material for agricultural purposes, with the possibility of reducing reliance on chemical formulations. If the pilot is successful, the government plans to formulate a formal policy and expand the initiative across Uttar Pradesh.

The pilot covers 15 villages and is being implemented through a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) led by Dr Praveen in Narsaina village of Syana tehsil.

Around 500 litres of cow urine are currently being collected every day. There are plans to increase the procurement rate to ₹20 per litre in the future. Storage tanks with a capacity of 200 litres have also been installed in the villages.

Rural women to earn through collection

Women in the villages are playing a key role in the collection process. Those involved in collecting cow urine are being paid a commission of ₹2 per litre, providing them with an additional source of income.

The initiative reportedly began with the participation of around 300 women, who have been made shareholders.

SP alleges election funding scam

The Samajwadi Party has criticised the initiative, calling the cow urine procurement scheme a “scam”.

SP spokesperson Mohammad Azam Khan alleged that the scheme was being orchestrated to raise funds for elections. He also alleged that cow shelters and the cows housed there were not safe in the state and claimed that the initiative would not lead to development.

These claims are allegations by the Samajwadi Party and have not been established as facts.

BJP hits back at Samajwadi Party

Responding to the criticism, BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai said the Samajwadi Party finds fault with every development scheme.

He also claimed that the opposition party was unhappy with benefits reaching the Yadav community, which he said is the section whose interests the Samajwadi Party champions.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday challenged Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to remain in Parliament and participate in the discussion, as Home Minister Amit Shah prepares to respond to issues raised by the Congress leader.

Rijiju’s remarks came amid a continuing standoff between the government and the Opposition over recent student protests and the police action against demonstrators. The issue has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in Parliament, with the Opposition seeking answers from the government.

Rahul Gandhi has been demanding a response from Amit Shah on the matter. The government has now agreed to a debate, with the Home Minister expected to respond to the questions raised by the Opposition.

Rijiju asks Rahul Gandhi to stay for Shah’s response

In a social media post, Rijiju said Rahul Gandhi had been seeking a response from Amit Shah for several days.

He argued that since the Home Minister was now ready to answer the questions in detail, Rahul Gandhi should remain present in Parliament and take part in the discussion rather than leave.

The remarks came as the government and Opposition remained at odds over the handling of the student protests, with the issue becoming a major point of contention during the Monsoon Session.