European aviation giant Airbus was sending experts to New Delhi on Tuesday to assist domestic investigators probing an Air India flight that plunged dramatically, injuring 17 in a terrifying mid-air ordeal, the company said.
The probe into the flight comes as "confirmatory" psychoactive drug test results are awaited for the chief pilot.
The Airbus A320, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew, lost around 300 feet (91 meters) on Aug. 4 while flying from Phuket in Thailand to New Delhi, before stabilizing and landing safely.
Air India, in a statement after the plane landed, said it had "experienced a sudden loss of altitude," adding that it was "fully cooperating with the investigation, and the aircraft manufacturer has also been notified."
India's civil aviation ministry said that the "occurrence has been classified as a Serious Incident and is under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)."
