The Federal Government has grounded a private aircraft and suspended its operator’s permit following a dramatic incident in which the aircraft made an emergency landing on a road under construction near Asaba and later departed without regulatory clearance.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed the development in a statement posted on his X account, describing the incident as a serious breach of aviation regulations and security protocols.
According to Keyamo, the aircraft carried out a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba Airport at about 7:43 a.m. local time before diverting and landing on a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State.
He said eyewitness reports confirmed that all four crew members on board safely exited the aircraft and were later transported to Asaba by road, with no injuries recorded.
Keyamo, however, expressed concern over the aircraft’s subsequent departure from the scene at about 11:02 GMT without obtaining the required regulatory approval.
He said Air Traffic Control was only notified after the aircraft had already taken off, noting that the aircraft had no clearance for departure.
“In other words, the aircraft had no clearance to take off again,” he said.
Following the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos, pending the outcome of investigations.
The minister said the NCAA has also placed the flight under regulatory review to determine the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorized departure.
He added that the agency is working with relevant stakeholders, including the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, to fully establish what transpired.
As part of enforcement actions, the NCAA suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) and ordered a comprehensive audit of its operational, maintenance, airworthiness, and flight records.
“The NCAA will take further enforcement action in accordance with applicable aviation regulations,” Keyamo stated.
He also confirmed that security agencies had taken custody of the crew members for questioning as part of ongoing investigations.
Authorities say the incident will be thoroughly reviewed to prevent future breaches of aviation safety and regulatory procedures.
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