The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot for operating under the influence of hard drugs and alcohol. This came after the crew’s aircraft was involved in a runway excursion at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
The disclosure was contained in a preliminary report signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at NSIB, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, and made available to reporters on Friday.
It will be recalled that an Air Peace aircraft veered off the runway on Sunday, July 13, after landing at the Port Harcourt airport. Although the aircraft left the runway, no damage was recorded.
A runway excursion occurs when an aircraft overruns the end of the runway or veers off its side during takeoff or landing. Such incidents are often linked to miscommunication, mistakes, faulty equipment, or poor runway conditions. However, with the new discovery, pilots’ intoxication has now been added to the list of possible causes.
According to the NSIB report, the incident involved a Boeing 737 aircraft carrying 103 passengers on a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt. The aircraft was said to have landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach, touching down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold before coming to a final stop 209 metres into the clearway.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported,” the NSIB confirmed.
The report noted that the flight’s final approach had been unstable before landing well beyond the recommended touchdown zone, raising immediate safety concerns.
NSIB’s preliminary findings revealed that toxicological test results conducted on the crew turned out positive. Tests indicated the presence of alcohol in the system of the captain and first officer, while a cabin crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis, commonly referred to as “India hemp.”
NSIB Issues Safety Recommendations to Air Peace After Crew Tests Positive for Alcohol and Drugs
The bureau stressed that the toxicology results are being assessed within the scope of human performance and safety management, both of which are critical elements in aviation incident investigations.
Following the development, the NSIB announced that it had issued immediate safety recommendations to the airline.
“Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis. These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation,” the report stated.
The bureau further recommended that Air Peace Limited strengthen crew resource management training, especially in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and reinforce internal procedures for fitness-for-duty checks before flight dispatch.
The NSIB also disclosed that the toxicological tests were conducted at the Department of Medical Laboratory, Rivers State Hospital Management, Port Harcourt, on the same day of the incident. Results showed that the captain and first officer tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, an indicator of recent alcohol consumption.
More details are expected to follow as the investigation progresses.
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