Air Peace Pilots, Crew Test Positive for Alcohol, Drugs – NSIB

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot after toxicology tests revealed the presence of alcohol and hard drugs in their systems.
The development followed a runway incursion involving an Air Peace Boeing 737 aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
According to a preliminary report signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance at the NSIB, the crew tested positive for prohibited substances during investigations into the incident.
It would be recalled that the aircraft, carrying 103 passengers on a scheduled flight from Lagos, veered off Runway 21 after an unstabilised approach and late landing. The jet touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold—far beyond the designated touchdown zone—before coming to a stop 209 metres into the clearway. Fortunately, all passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were recorded.
While runway incursions are often linked to miscommunication, technical faults, or poor runway conditions, the NSIB report has now identified crew intoxication as a contributing factor in this case.
Toxicological screenings carried out at Rivers State Hospital, Port Harcourt, confirmed the presence of ethyl glucuronide (a marker of recent alcohol intake) in the pilot and co-pilot. A cabin crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
The Bureau stated that these findings are being reviewed under the framework of human performance and safety management, which are key components in aviation safety investigations.
In response, the NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace. These include stricter crew resource management training—especially in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions—as well as reinforced internal procedures to ensure crew fitness-for-duty before flight dispatch.