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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operational permit of a private aircraft operator after one of its planes reportedly landed on a roadway near Asaba, Delta State, and later flew to Lagos without obtaining regulatory approval.
The NCAA disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, following preliminary reports of an aviation incident involving a privately operated aircraft in the vicinity of Asaba.
According to the Authority, the aircraft experienced difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport and was forced to abort its approach.
The NCAA said available information showed that the aircraft carried out a missed approach at about 7:43 a.m. local time before reportedly landing on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
The regulator stated that all occupants safely evacuated the aircraft and were subsequently transported to Asaba by road.
“The aircraft had four crew members on board. At this time, no injuries to passengers or crew have been reported,” the statement noted.
However, the Authority expressed concern that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance.
According to the NCAA, preliminary findings indicate that the aircraft took off from the roadside location at about 11:02 GMT and proceeded to Lagos without prior approval from aviation authorities.
The regulator further revealed that Air Traffic Control was informed only after the aircraft had already become airborne, describing the action as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
“The Authority has also been informed that Air Traffic Control was notified only after the aircraft had become airborne. This action constitutes a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations and is currently under investigation,” the NCAA stated.
In response, the Authority immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
The flight crew involved in the operation have also been placed under regulatory review as officials examine the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorised departure.
As an interim measure, the NCAA announced the suspension of the operator’s Non-Commercial Flight permit.
The Authority said it has notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to determine the full circumstances of the incident.
Achimugu stated that the NCAA would review all operational, maintenance, airworthiness and flight records connected to the aircraft and would take further enforcement actions where necessary in line with existing aviation regulations.
