The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has explained why it cleared the co-pilot of Air Peace after a runway excursion incident, despite the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) report that raised concerns about the flight crew.
The incident occurred on June 13 at the Port Harcourt International Airport when an Air Peace aircraft touched down unusually far down the runway — about 2,264 metres from the threshold, well beyond the designated touchdown zone — and eventually came to a stop 209 metres into the clearway.
Following the incident, the NSIB carried out medical tests on blood samples of the crew and indicated possible alcohol and drug use. This raised public concern about why one of the pilots was cleared to return to duty.
Clarifying the decision, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the authority’s internal investigation and the NSIB’s preliminary findings both showed that the co-pilot was not culpable. He noted that the co-pilot had advised the captain to execute a go-around during the unstable approach, but his advice was ignored.
Achimugu stressed that keeping the co-pilot grounded for up to a year without any evidence of wrongdoing would be unjust. He added that aviation procedures are only truly tested during real-life incidents, and in this case, the co-pilot demonstrated professionalism.
He also pointed out that some inconsistencies in the NSIB’s report require clarification and confirmed that NCAA’s Director General, Capt. Chris Najomo, would address the matter formally.
Meanwhile, aviation stakeholders have urged the NCAA to apply regulations uniformly and ensure that the credibility of the industry is not undermined. Some cautioned that media debates and informal defenses could complicate ongoing safety investigations.
