Air Peace Pilots, Crew Tested Positive For Alcohol, Drugs After Port Harcourt Runway Incident – NSIB

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot tested positive for alcohol and drugs after their aircraft was involved in a runway incident at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.

The disclosure came in a preliminary report signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, and released on Friday.

On the day of the incident, an Air Peace Boeing 737 carrying 103 passengers from Lagos veered off Runway 21 after landing.

The aircraft touched down far beyond the recommended point, about 2,264 metres from the threshold, and eventually came to a halt 209 metres into the clearway.

Fortunately, there were no injuries, and everyone on board disembarked safely.

A runway excursion occurs when an aircraft leaves the side or end of a runway during landing or takeoff.

While these incidents are usually linked to factors like poor communication, pilot error, equipment failure, or runway conditions, investigators now say intoxication was a key factor in this case.

It was gathered that toxicology tests carried out after the incident confirmed that both the captain and first officer had alcohol in their system.

In addition, a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis.

In a statement, the NSIB said these findings are being reviewed under the lens of human performance and safety management, which are crucial in aviation investigations.

The statement further reads, “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 NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen crew resource management training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch.

“Toxicological test was conducted on the flight crew at Rivers state hospital management, department of medical laboratory, Port Harcourt, on 13th July 2025, and they tested positive for some substances.

“Toxicological screening conducted post-incident revealed that Captain and first officer tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, indicating recent alcohol consumption.”

The NSIB noted that the timeline and specific details of these safety measures will be determined as the investigation continues.

KanyiDaily had reported how the Air Peace flight veered off the runway after landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Sunday morning.