Aircraft lands on road near Asaba, flies to Lagos without approval, NCAA reacts

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a private aircraft and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) after the aircraft allegedly departed an incident site near Asaba without obtaining regulatory approval.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, describing the development as a serious violation of aviation regulations and safety procedures.

According to the minister, the aircraft was involved in an incident at about 7:43 a.m. local time while attempting to land at Asaba Airport. The aircraft reportedly executed a missed approach before landing on a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.

Keyamo said there were four crew members on board and no injuries were recorded during the incident.

He added that reports from the scene indicated that all occupants exited the aircraft safely and were subsequently transported to Asaba by road.

However, the minister revealed that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without securing the required regulatory approval.

“I am also informed that the aircraft subsequently departed the location at approximately 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the requisite regulatory approval. I also understand that Air Traffic Control was notified only after the aircraft had become airborne. In other words, the aircraft had no clearance to take off again,” Keyamo stated.

The minister said the NCAA immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos and commenced an investigation into both the landing incident and the subsequent unauthorised departure.

According to him, the regulatory authority is working with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to establish the full circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

He further disclosed that the NCAA had suspended the operator’s PNCF and would review all relevant operational, maintenance, airworthiness and flight records as part of the investigation.

“The NCAA will also review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight-related records as part of its statutory responsibilities and will take further enforcement action in accordance with applicable aviation regulations,” he said.

Keyamo also disclosed that security agencies had taken custody of the crew members and were assisting investigators.

“I have also spoken to relevant security agencies and I have been assured that the crew are in their custody and they are assisting them with their investigation,” he added.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with aviation regulators and security agencies expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s landing and subsequent departure from the site.

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