The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has indicted an Air Peace pilot and a Co-pilot for testing positive to hard drugs and alcohol.
The crew was confirmed positive for the narcotics by accident investigators after the aircraft they were flying in was engaged in a runway incursion at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
This was included in an initial report that was provided to newsmen on Friday and signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
Recall that an Air Peace aircraft, on a Sunday morning of 13th June, had a runway excursion and veered off into the field after landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
An aircraft incursion is the wrongful or unauthorised positioning of an airplane at the runway, usually caused by miscommunication, mistakes, faulty gear, and potholes on runways, among others.
However, the NSIB discovery reveals that pilots’ intoxication has been added to the list of causes.
According to the NSIB report, the Air Peace pilots who were flying a Boeing 737 aircraft were involved in a serious incident with 103 passengers onboard.
The NSIB said, “The aircraft, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 persons on board, landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach. The aircraft touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to a final stop 209 metres into the clearway.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported.”
According to the NSIB, the plane landed 2,264 meters from the runway threshold—much beyond than the advised landing zone—and finally stopped 209 meters into the clearway.
The event caused immediate safety concerns, even though everyone on board disembarked safely.
Preliminary reports state that the Air Peace flight crew’s toxicological test findings were positive. Another crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, often known as “India hemp.” The tests also revealed that the crew member had alcohol in their system.
The bureau stated that these toxicology data are being evaluated in the context of safety management and human performance, two important aspects of aviation mishap investigations.
In response to the Air Peace incident, the NSIB stated that it had issued prompt safety advice to Air Peace.
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.”
More details to follow later…
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