By Chinelo Obogo
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said that the tests conducted on the Air Peace crew involved in the serious incident with a Boeing 737-524, which overshot the runway during landing at Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Port Harcourt, on 13 July 2025, showed traces of alcohol and cannabis.
The Bureau released a preliminary report in the early hours of Friday which showed that the aircraft, bearing the registration 5N-BQQ, was operating a scheduled domestic service from Lagos to Port Harcourt with 103 people on board when the incident occurred.
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The flight approached Runway 21 in an unstabilised manner and touched down far beyond the normal landing zone, at 2,264 metres from the threshold. The aircraft eventually came to a complete stop 209 metres into the clearway.
All passengers and crew members disembarked without injury.
The Bureau said however, that toxicological tests conducted as part of the investigation raised serious safety concerns.
The tests indicated the presence of alcohol in the systems of members of the flight crew, while a cabin crew member tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance found in cannabis.
These findings are now being examined under the human performance and safety management aspects of the ongoing investigation.
In response to these revelations, the NSIB has issued immediate safety recommendations to Air Peace. The airline has been urged to enhance its crew resource management (CRM) training, with special focus on decision-making during unstabilised approaches and the execution of go-arounds when necessary.
The Bureau has stressed the need for stricter internal monitoring procedures to ensure that all crew members are fit for duty before any flight departs.mThe NSIB emphasised that the preliminary report reflects early findings and does not represent the final conclusions of the investigation.
A comprehensive final report will be released after further analysis, containing detailed conclusions and additional recommendations aimed at bolstering aviation safety across Nigeria.
The Bureau noted that it remains committed to its mandate of promoting transport safety through independent, fact-based investigations.
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