On September 12, 2025, Air Peace pilot and co-pilot tested positive for alcohol after Port Harcourt runway incident, NSIB confirmed.
This revelation exposes dangerous negligence at the heart of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The Incident: Dangerous Runway Overshoot in Broad Daylight
On July 13, 2025, an Air Peace Boeing 737 with 103 people aboard 96 passengers and seven crew members landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilized final approach.
The aircraft touched down 2,264 meters from the runway threshold, nearly three-quarters down the 3,000-meter runway, and came to rest 209 meters beyond the runway on grass.
Despite the hazardous circumstances, no injuries were reported.
The event was classified as a “serious incident,” but it underscores critical safety lapses.
Toxicology Tests Reveal Alarming Substance Abuse
Toxicology tests showed both captain and first officer positive for ethyl glucuronide, showing recent alcohol consumption.
Additionally, a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive element in cannabis.
This discovery profoundly challenges the integrity of flight safety protocols.
Aviation experts warn alcohol or drug use dangerously impairs crew performance during critical flight phases like landing.
Cockpit Dynamics and Flawed Decision-Making
The NSIB report highlighted a steep cockpit authority gap.
The 64-year-old captain, with 10,000+ flying hours, ignored the first officer’s advice to abort landing.
Instead, the captain pressed on with a risky landing, ultimately overrunning the runway.
This power imbalance between senior and junior crew members sets a dangerous precedent in aviation safety culture.
It suggests that younger officers may hesitate to challenge poor decisions, even in emergencies, putting passengers at severe risk.
Regulatory Failures and Airline Oversight Under Fire
Crew intoxication reveals serious flaws in Air Peace’s fitness-for-duty systems and government regulatory oversight.
The NSIB has already issued urgent recommendations that Air Peace must reinforce crew resource management.
Improve training on unstabilized approaches and go-around protocols, and tighten pre-flight crew monitoring.
This incident demands accountability for safety lapses that could have resulted in catastrophic loss of life.
The Public Outcry: Safety, Ethics, and Trust at Stake
The revelation has provoked widespread outrage among travelers and aviation professionals.
How can passengers entrust their lives to airlines whose pilots operate under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
Questions now swirl about the ethical culture within Nigerian carriers and whether sufficient deterrents exist to prevent such dangerous conduct.
This scandal is not just an isolated event; it symbolizes systemic failures that undermine public confidence in the nation’s aviation safety standards.
Immediate, transparent actions are demanded to restore trust.
What’s Next? Demands for Transparency and Reform
The investigation is ongoing with a final report expected to provide full details and recommendations.
Authorities must ensure this wake-up call triggers meaningful reforms across Nigeria’s civil aviation sector.
Passengers, crew, and all stakeholders deserve thorough oversight to prevent recurrence.
Above all, Nigeria’s airlines must adopt zero-tolerance policies for substance abuse and empower all crew members to prioritize safety without fear.
