Air Peace Pilots Test Positive For Alcohol, Dugs After Runway Incident
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that rhe Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has reported that preliminary toxicological tests on an Air Peace pilot, co-pilot, and a cabin crew member indicated the presence of alcohol and banned substances following a serious incident involving the airline in July.
The incident occurred on 13 July 2025, when a Boeing 737-524 aircraft, with registration 5N-BQQ and 103 persons on board, landed long on runway 21 at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The aircraft, after an unstabilised final approach, touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to a stop 209 metres into the clearway. All passengers and crew disembarked safely without injury.
In a statement signed by the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Oladeji, the bureau confirmed that toxicology results showed positive indications of alcohol use in the flight crew and traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive component of cannabis, in a cabin crew member.
The bureau stressed that the toxicology findings are being reviewed within the framework of human performance analysis, noting that such factors are critical in understanding aviation safety lapses.
Investigators will also assess whether existing monitoring and reporting systems within the airline were adequate to prevent the occurrence.
The NSIB stated that the findings are under review within the human performance and safety management framework of the ongoing investigation. Immediate safety recommendations have been issued to Air Peace, including strengthening crew resource management (CRM) training, particularly in unstabilised approach and go-around procedures, as well as reinforcing internal crew fitness-for-duty monitoring.
The bureau noted that its final report will include detailed conclusions and additional measures aimed at improving aviation safety standards in Nigeria.
