Air Peace Crew Tested Positive for Drugs and Alcohol After Port Harcourt Runway Excursion — NSIB Report

Representative image suggestion: Air Peace Boeing 737 at an airport apron. Use editorial photos from Reuters, AP or the airline’s press kit with proper credit. See sources list below for links. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Key findings from the NSIB preliminary report

• Runway excursion occurred on 13 July 2025: The Boeing 737 (flight P47190, registration reported as 5N-BQQ) operating from Lagos to Port Harcourt veered off Runway 03/21 after touchdown. All passengers evacuated normally; no injuries were recorded. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• Toxicology results: Initial crew toxicology tests returned positive results for alcohol and a controlled substance (reported by multiple outlets as cannabis). The NSIB included this finding in its preliminary serious-incident report. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Approach and touchdown details: The NSIB’s preliminary technical notes indicate the approach was unstable, and the aircraft touched down beyond the threshold (specific distances are included in the preliminary report). The airplane subsequently came to rest beyond the paved runway strip but in the clearway; there was no structural damage reported in immediate post-incident checks. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Number on board and flight status: Reports indicate there were about 100–103 persons on board (passengers + crew) and that disembarkation proceeded calmly under airport control. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Chronology — what happened (summary of NSIB timeline)

According to the NSIB preliminary notification and corroborating news reports: the aircraft departed Lagos and landed at Port Harcourt in the morning of 13 July 2025. During the landing roll, the aircraft veered slightly off the runway surface and finally stopped in the runway clearway. Emergency and airport operations teams responded, passengers disembarked normally, and initial inspections showed no major structural damage. The occurrence was formally reported to the NSIB by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and FAAN, triggering the statutory investigation. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

(The NSIB’s preliminary report is dated and published as part of its investigation process; a final report with causal findings and safety recommendations will follow after full analysis.) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

What the toxicology finding means — investigative angles

The NSIB’s disclosure that crew toxicology samples were positive introduces several lines of inquiry investigators and regulators will pursue:

1. Medical & toxicology confirmation: Confirmation of substances, concentration levels and whether any impairing threshold was exceeded is essential. Laboratories typically test blood and urine, and chain-of-custody and lab accreditation are crucial for evidence admissibility. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
2. Human performance & fitness for duty: Investigators will examine crew duty time, rest records, recent activities, any alcohol-consumption policies and whether company procedures were followed for pre-flight checks and fitness-for-duty assessments. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
3. Operational factors: The NSIB will review cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) information (if available), crew communications, approach stabilization parameters, autobrake/anti-skid behaviour and runway surface/weather conditions at the time of landing. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
4. Organisational oversight: The role of the airline’s safety management system (SMS), training, supervision and drug & alcohol control policies will be evaluated by both the NSIB and Nigeria’s civil aviation regulator. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
5. Security and regulatory follow-up: Depending on the final findings, there could be enforcement actions, license suspensions, criminal or administrative proceedings against crew or corporate safety managers, and mandatory corrective actions for the operator. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

Air Peace, FAAN and other institutional responses

Air Peace issued an immediate statement after the July 13 occurrence confirming a runway excursion, emphasising that all passengers disembarked safely and that safety procedures were followed. The airline has said it will cooperate with investigators. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also confirmed the incident and the absence of casualties. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Paraphrasing Air Peace’s July statement: “Flight P47190 had a runway excursion after landing at Port Harcourt; all passengers disembarked safely and the airline will cooperate with authorities.” :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

The NSIB — which by law investigates accidents and serious incidents to produce impartial safety recommendations — has published a preliminary report and toxicology finding; its final report will aim to identify causal factors and recommend safety actions to prevent recurrence. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

Potential legal, safety and industry implications

Should the positive toxicology be confirmed with impairment levels sufficient to affect performance, consequences could include:

• Revocation or suspension of the crew’s licences pending disciplinary or legal processes;
• Regulatory enforcement actions against the operator for lapses in crew monitoring or duty-time management;
• Industry-wide scrutiny on drug & alcohol testing programmes, random testing frequency and compliance with ICAO standards; and
• Reputational and commercial impacts for the airline, including passenger confidence and insurance implications. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

What investigators will publish next

Standard investigation practice is to publish a final report after detailed analysis of CVR/FDR data, engineering inspections, toxicology and human factors assessments. The final NSIB report should set out probable cause(s) and safety recommendations addressed to the airline, the regulator, airport operators and other stakeholders. Meanwhile, regulators (e.g., NCAA / Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) may take interim administrative action if public safety requires immediate steps. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}

Primary sources & further reading

• NSIB — Preliminary Report on the Serious Incident (5N-BQQ) — Port Harcourt (NSIB release / PDF). :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
• Punch — coverage: “BREAKING: Air Peace crew tested positive for alcohol, drug (NSIB report)”. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}
• SaharaReporters — reporting on toxicology results and preliminary findings. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
• Channels TV / Air Peace statement — airline confirms runway excursion and safe disembarkation. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
• Aviation Herald — technical incident log and flight details (registration, runway, times). :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

Image source suggestions: use editorial/licensed photos for publication — e.g., FAAN/NSIB official photos, Reuters/AP/AFP images of Port Harcourt airport or Air Peace aircraft, or Air Peace press pictures (with credit). Always confirm licensing before embedding. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}

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Sources cited inline: NSIB preliminary report; Punch; SaharaReporters; Channels TV; Aviation Herald. :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}