NSIB Report Indict Air Peace Pilot

Preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot for alcohol and hard drugs usage before operating a flight.

According to the NSIB report, both the pilot and co-pilot of the Air Peace plane that suffered a runway excursion at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025, consumed alcohol and hard drugs before operating the plane.

The report released on Friday and signed by Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, noted that toxicological tests confirmed the presence of alcohol and drugs in the crew’s system.

Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection

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The incident involved an Air Peace Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying 103 passengers, which veered off Runway 21 after an unstabilised approach and late touchdown. The jet eventually came to a halt 209 metres into the clearway, though all passengers and crew disembarked safely without injuries.

The NSIB explained that the plane had landed long — 2,264 metres from the runway threshold — which is well beyond the recommended touchdown zone. This, it noted, raised serious safety concerns.

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Laboratory tests conducted at Rivers State Hospital revealed that the captain and first officer tested positive for ethyl glucuronide, an indicator of recent alcohol use, while a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component of cannabis.

“These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation,” the report stated.

The bureau has since issued immediate safety directives to Air Peace. These include stricter monitoring of crew fitness-for-duty before flights, enhanced training in crew resource management, and better decision-making on handling unstabilised approaches and go-arounds.

The NSIB emphasised that the findings underscore the need for airlines to strengthen internal controls to guarantee passenger safety.