The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted the pilot and co-pilot of an Air Peace flight for operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol and hard drugs, following a runway incident at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
According to a preliminary report released on Friday and signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at NSIB, toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew returned positive results for alcohol and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound in cannabis.
The flight, operated by a Boeing 737 aircraft with 103 persons on board, was en route from Lagos to Port Harcourt when it experienced a runway excursion after landing. The aircraft veered off Runway 21 following an unstabilised final approach and touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold—far beyond the standard touchdown zone—before coming to a halt 209 metres into the clearway.
Though there was no damage to the aircraft and all passengers and crew disembarked safely, the NSIB classified the event as a serious incident, prompting immediate investigation.
“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,” the NSIB said.
The report stated that the toxicological screening was conducted at the Rivers State Hospital Management Board’s Department of Medical Laboratory on the same day of the incident. Both the captain and first officer tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, a biomarker that confirms recent alcohol consumption.
The NSIB emphasized that the toxicology results are being analyzed under its human performance and safety management protocols, which are critical to aviation safety investigations.
In response to the incident, the bureau issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace Limited, calling for enhanced crew resource management training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions. The airline was also urged to reinforce its internal procedures for assessing crew fitness-for-duty prior to dispatch.
“These findings underscore the need for stringent adherence to pre-flight fitness protocols and more robust oversight within airline operations,” the NSIB added.
A runway excursion is a type of runway incursion involving an aircraft leaving the paved surface of a runway. Such incidents are typically caused by poor communication, pilot error, mechanical failure, or unsafe runway conditions—but in this case, crew intoxication has been identified as a contributing factor.
The incident comes amid increasing scrutiny of flight crew conduct and aviation safety procedures in Nigeria’s domestic air travel sector.
Details later…
