The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has indicted an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot after tests revealed they were under the influence of drugs and alcohol during a recent flight.
The finding followed a runway excursion involving an Air Peace Boeing 737 at Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025. The aircraft, which had 103 passengers on board, veered off the runway after landing but sustained no damage.
In a preliminary report released on Friday, NSIB spokesperson Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji confirmed that toxicology tests conducted on the flight crew returned positive results for hard drugs and alcohol.
“The aircraft, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 persons on board, landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach,” the bureau said.
According to the report, the jet touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold and came to a complete stop 209 metres into the clearway, well beyond safe landing parameters.
A runway excursion occurs when an aircraft overshoots or veers off a runway during landing or takeoff. Such incidents are typically linked to pilot error, poor communication, equipment faults, or runway conditions. The NSIB said intoxication has now been added as a contributing factor in this case.
The incident has been classified as serious by the agency, which is continuing its investigation to determine further safety lapses.
Air Peace has yet to issue an official response to the findings as of the time of this report.
