The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilot and first officer of a private aircraft that landed on a road in Delta State, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
The Director General of the NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos.
Najomo said the aircraft had also been grounded, while its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) had been suspended.
According to him, “The investigation is still ongoing. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has handed the investigation to us. We are carrying out our own investigation. As we speak, the aircraft is grounded and the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight has been suspended.”
He added that both pilots would not be allowed to operate in Nigerian airspace until the investigation was concluded.
“The pilots are suspended from flying in this airspace until we conclude our investigation because, as a pilot for 45 years, I can’t see a road and land on it. You will also look at the other motives. The DSS got involved and they are investigating. Until that investigation is concluded, the suspension remains,” he said.
The incident occurred in June when a private jet with registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Ltd, landed on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State.
The aircraft, which had four crew members on board, later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval.