The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that pilots of an Air Peace aircraft involved in a runway excursion at Port Harcourt International Airport in July tested positive for alcohol and drugs.
The incident occurred on 13 July 2025 when the Boeing 737, carrying 103 passengers on a scheduled flight from Lagos, veered off Runway 21 after what investigators described as an “unstabilised final approach.”
According to the preliminary NSIB report, the aircraft landed 2,264 metres from the runway threshold — far beyond the recommended touchdown zone — before coming to a halt 209 metres into the clearway. Fortunately, all passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were recorded.
Toxicological tests carried out on the crew at Rivers State Hospital Laboratory in Port Harcourt revealed that the captain and co-pilot tested positive for ethyl glucuronide, a marker of recent alcohol consumption, while a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
“The toxicological results are being assessed under human performance and safety management components of the investigation,” the NSIB said. “Immediate safety recommendations have been issued to 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 dispatch.”
While the aircraft itself suffered no damage, the revelations have raised fresh concerns about aviation safety and pilot fitness-to-fly standards in Nigeria.
Air Peace has yet to release a formal response to the preliminary findings. The NSIB emphasised that investigations remain ongoing, and further details will be made public in the final report.
