NSIB Probes Air Peace Pilots and Crew Member Who Tested Positive for Alcohol and C@nnabis Following Port Harcourt Landing Mishap

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed that two Air Peace pilots tested positive for alcohol and c@nnabis after a runway incident at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.

According to a preliminary report signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the Bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, the Boeing 737 aircraft was operating a scheduled Lagos–Port Harcourt flight with 103 passengers on board when it veered off Runway 21. 

Investigators said the jet landed from an unstabilised approach, touching down 2,264 metres beyond the threshold before stopping 209 metres into the clearway.

No inj¥ries or structural d+mage were recorded, but the NSIB stressed that the findings raise serious safety concerns. Toxicological tests showed that both the Captain and First Officer had consumed alcohol prior to the flight, with post-incident screenings confirming the presence of Ethyl Glucuronide, a marker of recent alcohol intake. 

In addition, one cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in c@nnabis.

Oladeji warned that intoxicants in a flight crew pose grave risks to aviation safety. As part of its response, the Bureau has issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace, urging the airline to reinforce crew resource management training, strengthen fitness-for-duty checks before flight dispatch, and tighten internal monitoring procedures.

The NSIB noted that runway incursions can arise from multiple causes—such as equipment malfunctions, miscommunication, or adverse weather—but added that crew intoxication must now be considered a potential factor.

A full investigation is ongoing, with a final report expected once inquiries are concluded.