By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a privately operated aircraft and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) after the aircraft reportedly landed on a busy road near Asaba, Delta State, before taking off again and flying to Lagos without regulatory clearance.
The aviation regulator disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday signed by its Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu.
According to the NCAA, preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft was attempting to land at Asaba Airport at about 7:43 a.m. local time when it conducted a missed approach and subsequently made an emergency landing on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
The authority said all four crew members on board exited the aircraft safely after the landing, with no injuries recorded. The crew members were later transported to Asaba by road.
However, the regulator said its preliminary findings showed that the aircraft later departed the location at approximately 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval.
The NCAA further alleged that the crew notified Air Traffic Control only after the aircraft had become airborne, describing the action as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs).
“The Authority immediately grounded the aircraft upon arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations,” the statement said.
The regulator added that the flight crew has been placed under regulatory review while investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorized departure.
The NCAA said it has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the incident and is working closely with relevant stakeholders, including the operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), to establish the full facts surrounding the occurrence.
As an interim measure, the authority suspended the operator’s PNCF permit and announced plans to review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related records associated with the aircraft.
It warned that further enforcement actions could follow if additional regulatory breaches are established during the investigation.
The NCAA reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, security and regulatory compliance across Nigeria’s air transport sector.
