Air Peace Safety Scandal: Pilot And Co-Pilot Tested Positive For Alcohol, Cannabis
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted two Air Peace flight crew members after toxicological tests revealed they operated under the influence of alcohol and hard drugs during a serious runway incident.
According to the preliminary NSIB report released on Friday and signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, both the Captain and First Officer of the Boeing 737 tested positive for alcohol. A cabin crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
The findings follow a runway excursion involving an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt on July 13, 2025, with 103 passengers on board. The aircraft landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach, touching down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold before coming to a halt 209 metres into the clearway.
Although all passengers and crew disembarked safely with no injuries, the discovery of intoxication has raised serious safety concerns.
The NSIB explained:
“Initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption. A cabin crew member also tested positive for THC. These results are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation.”
The Bureau said toxicological screenings were carried out at the Rivers State Hospital Management Department of Medical Laboratory, Port Harcourt, immediately after the incident. Results confirmed recent alcohol consumption by the Captain and First Officer.
In response, the NSIB has issued urgent safety recommendations to Air Peace, including strengthening crew resource management training, enforcing stricter pre-flight fitness checks, and reinforcing procedures for handling unstabilised approaches and go-arounds.
The Port Harcourt runway incident, which could have ended in disaster, has now put the spotlight on substance abuse within Nigeria’s aviation sector, exposing alarming lapses in airline crew monitoring.
