NSIB Report: Air Peace Suspends Pilot Involved In Port Harcourt Airpot Overshoot, Denies Alcoholism

Air Peace Airline, connected Friday, said the Captain of its Boeing 737-500, which overshot the runway astatine Port Harcourt International Airport connected July 13, 2025, has been grounded and relieved from further formation work to date.

Recall that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said that Air Peace pilots tested affirmative for intoxicant portion 1 of the compartment unit tested affirmative for cannabis pursuing the incidental involving its craft connected July 13, 2025, wherever 1 of its B737 craft skidded into the bush astatine the Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

However, responding to the NSIB study of the aviator investigating affirmative for intoxicant and a unit subordinate investigating affirmative for drugs, the airline, successful a statement, connected Friday, said that the skipper was suspended for disregarding modular go-around procedures arsenic advised by his co-pilot, but not for investigating affirmative connected a breathalyser test.

The hose further stated that the trial effect was, however, not communicated to the hose by the NSIB to date.

It further stated that contrary to reports successful the media, the First Officer (Co-pilot), who demonstrated professionalism successful calling for a go-around to his captain, has been reinstated into progressive flying duties, with afloat support from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The hose relation said NCAA cleared him, adding that if helium were progressive successful cause oregon intoxicant use, the aviation regulatory assemblage would not person cleared him to resume formation duties.

“As a liable airline, we spot utmost precedence connected safety, transparency, and compliance, and it is important to acceptable the grounds straight.

“Air Peace conducts predominant intoxicant and cause tests connected our crew. We person a precise strict intoxicant usage argumentation that is stricter than the 8 hours earlier the formation arsenic provided successful the regulations. Drug usage is simply a NO-NO!

“Following the incident, we took contiguous and decisive action. The skipper of the affected formation was grounded and relieved from further formation work to day for nonaccomplishment to adhere to Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and for disregarding modular go-around procedures arsenic advised by his co-pilot, but not for investigating affirmative connected a breathalyser test, arsenic the effect was not communicated to america by NSIB to date.

“Contrary to reports successful the media, the First Officer (Co-pilot), who demonstrated professionalism successful calling for a go-around to his captain, has been reinstated into progressive flying duties, with afloat support from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The NCAA cleared him. If helium was progressive successful cause oregon intoxicant use, the NCAA would not person cleared him to resume formation duties.”

The airline, however, said it volition summation the frequence of intoxicant and cause tests connected unit members.

“However, if the relieved skipper tests affirmative connected the breathalyser test, past we indispensable summation the frequence of our intoxicant and cause tests connected our crew.

“Again, the value of Enhanced Crew Resource Management Training tin not beryllium overemphasised. We volition intensify strict Fitness-for-Duty checks and Stronger Internal Monitoring to forestall immoderate breach of our zero-tolerance information policy,” the airline stated.