Air Peace co-pilot David Bernard detailed his version of events during the July 13, 2025 incident at Port-Harcourt airport through an Arise Television interview Friday. Bernard served as the pilot monitoring officer during the flight that experienced favorable weather conditions and clear visibility. The captain disconnected the autopilot system at 500 feet altitude and began manual control for the landing approach.
Bernard warned the captain about maintaining excessive altitude during the descent and recommended executing a go-around procedure. The captain ignored these safety advisories and continued the problematic approach pattern. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at approximately 200 feet before touching down beyond the runway's midpoint.
Bernard assumed control of the reverse thrust system when the captain hesitated to engage the braking mechanism. The co-pilot manually activated the thrust reversers and brought the aircraft to a complete stop. Bernard emphasized that the captain failed to follow standard landing system protocols throughout the approach phase.
Bernard warned the captain about maintaining excessive altitude during the descent and recommended executing a go-around procedure. The captain ignored these safety advisories and continued the problematic approach pattern. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at approximately 200 feet before touching down beyond the runway's midpoint.
Bernard assumed control of the reverse thrust system when the captain hesitated to engage the braking mechanism. The co-pilot manually activated the thrust reversers and brought the aircraft to a complete stop. Bernard emphasized that the captain failed to follow standard landing system protocols throughout the approach phase.
