A Nigerian airline pilot has been dismissed after testing positive for alcohol when the aircraft he was flying veered off the runway during landing.
The incident occurred in July at Port Harcourt International Airport, when a Boeing 737 operated by Air Peace carrying 103 passengers and crew skidded off the tarmac. No injuries were reported.
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According to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), both the pilot and co-pilot returned positive results for alcohol consumption following post-incident tests. A member of the cabin crew was also found to have traces of cannabis in their system.
Air Peace confirmed that the 64-year-old pilot had been terminated for breaching safety rules. The co-pilot, 28, has since resumed duty after being cleared by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which gave him a clean bill of health following further assessments.
In a statement, the airline said it had not been officially informed of the toxicology results by the NSIB, adding that the initial alcohol tests were carried out within an hour of the incident.
Investigators reported that the captain had logged more than 18,000 flight hours, while the co-pilot had nearly 1,200 hours of experience. The NSIB said its inquiry is ongoing, but has so far recommended better training and stronger internal procedures for flight crews.
Nigeria has not recorded a major air crash in recent years, but minor incidents such as runway overruns and tyre bursts remain a concern. Earlier this month, aviation authorities launched a new flight data monitoring centre to improve air safety, though experts have called for additional measures and advanced technology to strengthen the sector.
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