Aviation
Air Peace Incident in Port Harcourt: NSIB Links Pilots to Hard Drugs, Alcohol Use
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot tested positive for hard drugs and alcohol in its preliminary findings on the runway incursion involving their aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.
According to the report, signed by Mrs.
The NSIB explained that the aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 people on board, experienced an unstabilised final approach before landing long on Runway 21. The aircraft touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and eventually stopped 209 metres into the clearway.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported,” the Bureau stated.
The toxicological tests showed that one crew member had alcohol in their system, while another tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis, commonly known as “Indian hemp.”
NSIB stressed that these toxicology results are being reviewed within the context of human performance and safety management, both of which are critical in aviation safety investigations.
It will be recalled that the Air Peace aircraft suffered a runway incursion at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025, after landing with 103 passengers on board. A runway incursion refers to the wrongful or unauthorised presence of an aircraft on the runway.