…As firm denies receiving NSIB report
By Charles Ebi
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau ,NSIB, has revealed that the pilot and co-pilot of an Air Peace flight tested positive for alcohol following a runway excursion at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
A cabin crew member also tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol ,THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, the bureau said in a preliminary report released yesterday.
The report, signed by Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, stated that the incident involved Air Peace flight 5N-BQQ, a Boeing 737-524 on a scheduled Lagos–Port Harcourt route with 103 passengers and crew.
The aircraft landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised approach, touching down 2,264 metres from the threshold and stopping 209 metres into the clearway. All 103 passengers and crew were unharmed. Initial tests confirmed alcohol use by the flight crew and THC in a cabin crew member, which NSIB is reviewing as part of its safety assessment.
“The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has indicted an Air Peace pilot and a Co-pilot for taking alcohol and other substances.
“The accident investigators tested the crew positive for the substances after the aircraft they flew was involved in a runway excursion at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13″, the NAN report read in part.
It further quoted the NSIB report as saying, “Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption”.
In response, NSIB recommended that Air Peace strengthen crew resource management ,CRM, training especially for unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions and reinforce procedures for monitoring crew fitness before dispatch. The bureau noted that these are preliminary findings, with a full report and additional safety recommendations to follow.
Air Peace’s response
Air Peace has faulted reports based on a preliminary investigation by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau ,NSIB, saying it was never officially informed about any positive alcohol test result for its pilot involved in the July 13 Port Harcourt runway incident.
In a statement released on Friday, the airline emphasized that, despite widespread reports, the NSIB has not communicated any test results or findings to the airline over a month after the incident.
Air Peace described the situation as “concerning”, particularly given that alcohol tests were reportedly conducted within an hour of the incident.
“We are yet to receive any official communications from the NSIB on such findings… the result was not communicated to us”, the airline stated.
The incident involved a flight that failed to follow standard landing procedures, leading to a safety scare.
According to the airline, immediate disciplinary actions were taken internally. The captain was grounded for failing to adhere to Crew Resource Management ,CRM, principles and ignoring a go-around call from his First Officer.
However, Air Peace clarified that this action was not based on an alcohol test result.
Meanwhile, the First Officer, praised for professionalism during the incident, has since been reinstated and cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ,NCAA, further challenging claims of substance misuse.
“If he was involved in drug or alcohol use, the NCAA would not have cleared him to resume flight duties”, the airline noted.
Air Peace reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on substance abuse and claimed its internal alcohol testing procedures are stricter than the regulatory minimum. “Drug use is a no-no”, the airline affirmed.
The airline also stated that, if it turns out the captain did test positive, it would take further steps to increase the frequency of alcohol and drug testing for all crew members.
