The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that two Air Peace pilots tested positive for alcohol, while a cabin crew member tested positive for cannabis, following a serious runway incident at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
The incident occurred when an Air Peace Boeing 737 aircraft veered off Runway 21 after an unstabilized final approach, touching down 2,264 meters from the runway threshold and coming to a stop 209 meters into the clearway.
Fortunately, all 103 passengers and crew members disembarked safely without injuries. The aircraft, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, experienced an unstabilized final approach before landing long on Runway 21. The NSIB noted that the aircraft touched down well beyond the recommended touchdown zone, raising immediate safety concerns.
The toxicology test results conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. Specifically, the pilots tested positive for Ethyl Glucuronide, indicating recent alcohol consumption, while a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound 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 to Air Peace, including strengthening crew resource management training, particularly in handling unstabilized approaches and go-around decisions, and reinforcing internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch. The NSIB’s findings highlight the potential risks associated with substance use among crew members and emphasize the need for stricter crew fitness monitoring and enhanced training.
