A preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that two Air Peace pilots tested positive for alcohol and cannabis after a flight incident at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The incident occurred on July 13, 2025, when an Air Peace aircraft on a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, carrying 103 passengers and crew, suffered a runway excursion.
According to the NSIB, the aircraft had an unstabilized approach and touched down about 2,264 metres from the threshold of Runway 21, far beyond the standard touchdown zone. It eventually came to a stop some 209 metres into the clearway. Fortunately, all passengers and crew members disembarked safely, and no injuries were recorded.
However, during the post-incident investigation, toxicology tests conducted on the flight crew returned disturbing results. One of the pilots tested positive for alcohol, while the other tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis.
The Bureau noted that the findings would be subjected to human performance and safety management assessments as part of its ongoing investigation into the causes and contributing factors of the incident.
The revelation has raised concerns about airline safety procedures, crew welfare, and the strict enforcement of aviation regulations, especially regarding substance use by flight crews responsible for passenger safety.
