The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered a full investigation into an incident involving a private aircraft that landed on a road near Asaba, Delta State, before allegedly taking off again without regulatory approval.
Keyamo disclosed that the aircraft encountered difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport at about 7:43 a.m. on Wednesday and subsequently landed on a concrete road still under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
According to the minister, eyewitness reports indicated that all four crew members on board safely exited the aircraft and were transported by road to Asaba, with no injuries reported.
However, Keyamo expressed concern over reports that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the necessary regulatory clearance.
“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,” he stated.
The minister described the incident as a serious breach of aviation regulations and security protocols and announced a series of measures already taken by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He revealed that the aircraft was immediately grounded upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations, while the flight has been placed under regulatory review.
“The NCAA is conducting further inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and the subsequent unauthorized departure of the aircraft,” Keyamo said.
He added that the regulatory agency is working with relevant aviation stakeholders, including the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), to establish the full facts surrounding the incident.
As part of the enforcement actions, the NCAA has suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) and will review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related records.
The minister noted that further sanctions may be imposed in accordance with applicable aviation regulations depending on the outcome of the investigation.
He also disclosed that he had engaged relevant security agencies and received assurances that the crew members are currently in their custody and assisting with ongoing investigations.
