The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) revealed that Air Peace pilots involved in the July 13 Port Harcourt runway overrun tested positive for alcohol, while a flight attendant tested positive for cannabis. No injuries were reported, but regulators warn of grave safety lapses
Air Peace Pilots Tested Positive for Alcohol After Port Harcourt Runway Overrun, NSIB Reveals
Port Harcourt, Nigeria – The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released a damning report on the July 13 incident involving an Air Peace Boeing 737-500 that overran the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport.
The aircraft, carrying 96 passengers and seven crew members from Lagos, touched down nearly three-quarters of the way down the 3,000-metre runway, leaving insufficient distance to stop safely. It eventually came to a halt on the grass verge. Fortunately, all passengers and crew disembarked without injury.
The NSIB’s findings shocked many in the aviation sector. Both pilots tested positive for alcohol after the incident, while a flight attendant tested positive for cannabis.
The Bureau described this as a “grave breach of discipline, professionalism, and safety culture” within the airline.
Beyond substance use, investigators also identified critical lapses in cockpit dynamics. The 64-year-old captain, a veteran with more than 10,000 flight hours, overruled the first officer’s call for a go-around when the jet approached too high at the runway threshold.
Safety experts say such cockpit authority gaps can undermine decision-making during critical phases of flight.
In its recommendations, the NSIB directed Air Peace to tighten crew fitness checks, enforce stricter alcohol and drug screening, and reinforce training on go-around procedures.
The Bureau emphasized that abandoning an unstable approach is a vital safeguard and that regulators would hold airlines accountable for ensuring their crews meet the highest professional standards.
Though no lives were lost, the report underscores the dangers of substance use in aviation.
Regulators concluded that, “Aviation demands absolute discipline. Alcohol, drugs, and flying are a deadly mix.” Read More
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