Indictment Of Crew For Alcohol, Drugs: Air Peace Says NSIB Has Not Formally Informed It, Dismisses Report

By Akinwale Kasali

Air Peace Limited,  a Nigerian Carrier has dismissed reports on the indictment of its crew members for alleged alcohol and drug use.

A preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, indicated that both the Pilot and his Co-Pilot tested positive to the use of alcohol and another substance.

The Pilot and Co-Pilot were accused of taking the substance following preliminary report that was gathered and released by the Nigeria Safety Investigation  Bureau, NSIB, on the serious incident involving an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The report on the incident involving a Boeing 737-524 aircraft, with nationality and registration marks 5N-BQQ, operated by Air Peace Limited, occurred on 13 July 2025 at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

It stated that the aircraft, with about 103 persons on board, landed long on runway 21 after an unstabilised final approach and then touched down 2,264 metres from the runway threshold before coming to a final stop 209 metres into the clearway.

A statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Oladeji, stated that all passengers and crew disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported.

It, however, stated that the initial toxicological tests conducted on the flight crew revealed positive results for certain substances, including indicators of alcohol consumption, with a cabin crew member testing positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis.

The results, according to the statement, are being reviewed under the human performance and safety management components of the investigation.

The NSIB said it has issued immediate safety recommendations for Air Peace Limited to strengthen crew resource management (CRM) training, particularly in handling unstabilised approaches and go-around decisions, and to reinforce internal procedures for crew fitness-for-duty monitoring before flight dispatch.

It added that the final report will present detailed conclusions and additional recommendations to enhance aviation safety in Nigeria.

But in a statement on Friday, posted on its X handle, the Airline said that the NSIB has not officially communicated its findings to it on the incident.

It said the reports were  misleading,  and that over one month after the incident, neither the Airline, nor  its crew has received any confirmation of the NSIB’s alleged preliminary report which indicated its crew members.

Said the Statement: “To date, we have never received any official communications from the NSIB on such findings over a month after the incident and after the testing of the crew for alcohol which took place in less than an hour of the incident.

“As a responsible airline, we place utmost priority on safety, transparency, and compliance, and it is important to set the record straight.”

According to the Airline, its immediate response to the Port Harcourt incident, was to  ground the Captain and  relieved him of his flying duties because he disregarded standard go-around procedures and failed to observe Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles.

But the statement, also, emphasised that its action against the Pilot was not related to alcohol or substance use since no such test results have been formally communicated to it by the NSIB.

The statement said: “Following the incident, we took immediate and decisive action: The captain of the affected flight was immediately grounded and relieved from further flight duties to date for failure to adhere to Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and for disregarding standard go-around procedures as advised by his co-pilot but not for testing positive to breathalyser test as the result was not communicated to us by NSIB to date.

“If he was involved in drug or alcohol use, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority would not have cleared him to resume flight duties.

The Airline assured that if the NSIB  report is confirmed, it  would increase the frequency of its crew testing and intensify its strict Fitness-for-Duty checks.