The default value for the "Air" tag when an entity is summoned is "0". This means that if you summon an entity underwater, it will start to drown immediately.
Linked issues
is duplicated by 8
Comments 5
Hmmm... Hard to say if that's really a bug. Depends on whether the summon command also summons a lungful of air along with the entity 😉 When does it update to give them air, and what does a spawn egg set it to?
It updates immediately if they are in air, and it doesn't occur with spawn eggs or breeding. This definitely counts as a bug, mobs should be summoned as they are normally. That's why skeletons can be summoned with armor, zombies can be chicken jockeys, etc.
It's similar to how when using /summon, skeletons don't spawn with a bow in their hand, and mobs never spawn with armor/weapons unless you specify the weapon.
Relates to MC-78716