Air Peace pilot, co-pilot tested positive for alcohol, drugs – Safety bureau
The 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 Friday.
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, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
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 issued an official statement on Friday responding to media reports about the NSIB preliminary findings. The airline said it had not received any official communication from NSIB regarding the alleged results, more than a month after the incident.
It emphasized that it conducts frequent alcohol and drug tests, maintaining a strict no-drug policy and alcohol restrictions stricter than regulatory requirements.
The statement added that the captain involved has been grounded for failing to follow CRM principles and disregarding go-around advice, while the co-pilot, who called for a go-around, has been cleared to resume duties by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Air Peace noted that if the captain tested positive, it would increase the frequency of alcohol and drug testing for all crew members.
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