By Peter Omopo | September 12, 2025
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that toxicological tests conducted on the crew of an Air Peace Boeing 737 involved in a runway excursion at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13 returned positive for alcohol and cannabis.
The disclosure was contained in a preliminary report signed by the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.
The aircraft, operating a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos with 103 passengers on board, landed long on Runway 21 after what investigators described as an “unstabilised final approach.” It touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to a final stop 209 metres into the clearway.
Although all passengers and crew disembarked safely without injuries, the NSIB confirmed that the event was classified as a “serious incident.”
The bureau noted:
“Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis.”
The presence of these substances, the report added, is being reviewed within the framework of human performance and safety management, both critical areas in aviation safety investigations.
The NSIB has since issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace Limited, urging the airline to:
- Strengthen crew resource management training, especially in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions.
- Reinforce fitness-for-duty monitoring procedures to ensure crew readiness before flight dispatch.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about aviation safety in Nigeria, with the bureau stressing that toxicology results will play a key role in determining contributing factors to the runway excursion.
Further details are expected as the investigation continues.
