The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has confirmed that members of an Air Peace cockpit and cabin crew tested positive for alcohol and cannabis following a serious runway incident involving one of the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The disclosure was contained in a preliminary report released on Friday and signed by the Bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji.
The incident, which occurred on July 13, 2025, involved a scheduled Lagos Port Harcourt domestic flight carrying 103 passengers. According to investigators, the aircraft landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach, touching down more than 2,200 metres beyond the runway threshold. It eventually came to a stop 209 metres into the clearway.
Although no injuries were recorded and all passengers disembarked safely, the event raised significant safety concerns. The NSIB revealed that post-incident toxicological screening conducted at the Rivers State Hospital Management laboratory confirmed the presence of ethyl glucuronide – a marker of recent alcohol consumption in the captain and first officer. A cabin crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance found in cannabis.
“These results are being reviewed within the framework of human performance and safety management, both critical elements in aviation safety,” the NSIB said.
The Bureau has since issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace, directing the airline to reinforce internal checks on crew fitness for duty, strengthen crew resource management training, and place greater emphasis on procedures for handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions.
While runway excursions and incursions are often linked to poor communication, pilot error, or infrastructural challenges, the findings introduce substance impairment as an additional factor under close scrutiny by investigators.
Further updates on the investigation are expected as the NSIB continues its review.
