Aviation stakeholders including operators and service providers have expressed apprehension over the incident that involved a private jet that landed on motorway at Ogwashi-Uku instead of the Asaba airport. Chinedu Eze writes on the implications of such incident.
The aviation industry is still shaking by the operations of a private jet with foreign registration number, N989BC, which approached to land at the runway of the Asaba airport, but instead landed at the second Niger bridge link road under construction at Ogwashi-Uku near Asaba, the capital of Delta State.
After it landed, the pilot in command did not contact the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) or the Air Traffic Control; rather, it took off again without start up clearance from the control tower and it was after it had taken off that it contacted Air Traffic Controllers.
Since that incident occurred on June 10, 2026, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have not explained what exactly happened, thus giving room to conjectures and conspiracy theories.
But stakeholders and other industry observers are still aghast that such incident could take place and neither the operator of the aircraft nor NCAA could state clearly the mission of the aircraft and what exactly happened to the pilot why he chose to land at the motorway. Was it emergency landing or he mistook the road for runway? What is his experience operating in Nigeria’s airspace?
The aircraft involved is a 1988 Bombardier Challenger 601-3A business jet (MSN 5021) originally operated by Best Aircraft Deals LLC.
NCAA’s Reaction
NCAA had issued a statement hours after the incident to explain what might have happened but that explanation did not ebb the rising curiosity because a lot of questions remained unanswered.
NCAA, in a statement, announced that it had suspended the operational permit of the airline operating the aircraft, VMO Aero and described the action of the pilot as a violation of aviation regulations.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed that NCAA had received reports concerning the incident, saying that the incident began when the aircraft encountered difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport.
“Available information indicates that the aircraft conducted a missed approach at approximately 0743 local time while attempting to land at Asaba. Subsequently, the aircraft reportedly landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba. Reports received from personnel at the scene indicated that all occupants safely exited the aircraft and were transported to Asaba by road.”
Minister’s Reaction
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who was obviously miffed by the incident, said the aircraft returned to Lagos without obtaining the requisite regulatory approval and the pilot did not notify the Air Traffic Control before take-off, but did so after the aircraft had become airborne.
The operator of the aircraft, VMO Aero provided additional details regarding an occurrence involving one of its aircraft during a flight from Lagos to Asaba on June 10, 2026.
In a statement signed by its Accountable Manager, Oluwaseun Ayodeji, the company said the aircraft departed Lagos and during its initial approach into Asaba Airport at about 7:43am local time, the flight crew determined that the approach parameters were not within the required limits for a safe landing.
According to the company, the crew subsequently carried out a missed approach in line with established aviation safety procedures and repositioned the aircraft for another approach.
VMO Aero stated that the aircraft later landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
The company said it was engaging with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant authorities to support a comprehensive review of the occurrence and the implementation of any necessary corrective actions.
NCAA’ Further Explanation
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, however threw more light over the incident. Director of Operations, Licensing and Training, Capt. Don Spiff, disclosed that there was an on-going investigation of real owners of the aircraft. He queried the age limits of the pilot and his counterpart on the Nigeria Airspace when he spoke on Arise TV and acknowledged that Nigeria allows maximum age of 65 years but the pilot in command of the flight is 75 years while his co-pilot is 70 years, thus negating the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
Spiff disclosed that both pilots held American licences and operated under United States aviation regulations and that neither of them was considered over-aged under the applicable rules and the aircraft was American-registered.
“The pilot is 75. The co-pilot is 70. The pilot is not over-aged in America. The standards in Nigeria are slightly different from America. This aeroplane is an American-registered aeroplane with November registration.
“The pilots that flew it hold American licences. They operate in America. They have different parts. They call them the condition of regulations. They are operating under what they call American-registered aeroplane with November registration.
“The pilots that flew it hold American licences. They operate in America. They have different parts. They call them the condition of regulations. They are operating under what they call Section 14. And not only was Section 14, but also this aircraft was operated under Section 14.
“But the operator is VMO Aero. It is a Nigerian company, but this aircraft is American-registered, and because it’s American-registered, the pilots hold American FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) licences and operate under part 91 and part 135 of the regulations of the FAA. For him to have taken off, it was not allowed because he did not obtain any clearance for take-off.
“He did a kamikaze (suicide mission) action. There will be penalties. So far, the NCAA has suspended their commercial certificate, which is called a PNCF,” Spiff said.
Criticisms
Many industry observers were of the view that what Captain Spiff went to the media to do was pure public relations to subtly exonerate NCAA. A stakeholder who is also an operator and a seasoned pilot told THISDAY that NCAA has no excuse to allow pilots whose ages are beyond the limits given in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations to come and operate in the Nigerian environment; not only that it operated into the Nigerian environment, but it was hoping from one airport to another.
The stakeholder who also holds US pilot licence faulted Spiff, saying that the age limit for commercial pilots is 65 years, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and any age beyond that the pilot is not allowed to operate aircraft for hire or airlift passengers for payment. The pilot could fly the plane to carry his family members and his friends and not offer services for hire or for reward.
“The retirement age is 65 years. After 65 years you cannot fly for hire; that is operate an aircraft for salary or carry passengers for payment. Whether it is United States or Nigeria, ICAO stipulates that everybody retires at 65 years. After 65 years you can fly your own aircraft, carry your family and your friends and not for salary or for payment. You cannot be hired anymore to work for salary and you cannot carry anyone that will pay you salary,” the stakeholder noted.
He insisted that there is no way anybody can justify what the pilot did.
He said that ideally, a foreign registered aircraft is not supposed to hop from one airport to another. Such aircraft lands at one airport and the owner will use domestic service to travel to any other destination.
“NCAA is negating the rules by allowing foreign registered aircraft to operate around Nigeria. Because they allow such pilots to fly around in the terrain unfamiliar to them and that’s why he landed on a wrong place and you cannot blame him. The Nigerian system allowed the pilot to roam around.
“I have US pilot licence. What is applicable in the US is also applicable in Nigeria because we follow ICAO guidelines. The man and his co-pilot are too old to operate the aircraft. The aircraft is also very old, 38 years to be allowed into the country that has maximum years of aircraft entry at 22. It is only in Nigeria that you allow aircraft registered overseas to be operating everywhere in the country.
“The cost of that aircraft is not more than $3 million. In fact, the cost of the two engines in the aircraft is more than the cost of the aircraft. So, if you sell the aircraft you cannot buy the two engines. If the road had concrete barriers, or filled with sand bags at the middle, the aircraft would have crashed and that would be tragic. The aircraft would have shattered. The pilot mistook the road as runway because he was not familiar with the Asaba runway which could be identified with the greenery, but what was on the side and ahead of the road was heap of red earth,” the stakeholder further stated
According to him, “Cabotage laws regulate domestic trade, transport, and commercial operations within a country’s borders, restricting foreign entities from operating these services. While the concept is mostly applied to the maritime industry to reserve coastal and inland shipping for domestic operators, it also applies to aviation and trucking.”
Global Practice
However, a major fixed base operator in Lagos told THISDAY that allowing foreign registered aircraft to operate in Nigeria or any other country is a global practice and in tandem with ICAO regulations.
He explained that when a foreign registered aircraft is brought into the country it is registered with NCAA. In the application for registration, the operator of the aircraft will list the airports it would want to fly to and this would be reflected in the permit NCAA will give the aircraft.
“These aircraft with foreign registration make money for NCAA and other aviation agencies because when they fly they pay in dollars. When they land they pay in dollars. So, NCAA should encourage it and it is not only in Nigeria that it happens. Nothing is wrong with it. And you have to know that you cannot fly without NCAA notice,” he said.
Hiding Behind PNCF
Some industry insiders, however, said that many of these aircraft with foreign registration allegedly hide behind Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) given to them by NCAA to carry out illegal charter service for hire. PNCF is an economic authorisation issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority that allows private individuals and organizations to own and operate aircraft strictly for non-commercial purposes.
PNCF holders are not authorized to use their aircraft for the carriage of passengers, cargo, or mail for hire or reward (charter operations). Only holders of a valid Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) or Airline Operating Permit (AOP) can provide commercial charter services.
But the insiders insisted that many of the aircraft with PNCF illegally operate charter services.
Industry analyst and aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojukutu, while reacting to the Asaba airport missed approach incident said, that it was not a safety issue that forced the aircraft to land at the motorway because emergency was never declared.
“The flight was a ‘pre-flight plan’ by a foreign registered aircraft that flew with a flight plan without a security clearance. Foreign aircraft landing outside its flight plan destination is nothing but a breach of the National Security,” he said.
Ojikutu expressed worry that things surrounding the aircraft incident was not being handled transparently, noting that the initial report ought to have been out within three days of the incident.
“These are reports that can be obtained within two days before the preliminary investigation report. Something is going on underground. Am worried about the insecurity of the airspace surrounding the act of the foreign pilot in a foreign registered aircraft flying in the country without a security clearance,” Ojikutu observed.
No matter how NCAA and the Ministry of Aviation chose to keep things under wraps, many believed that the Asaba incident would lead to certain changes when the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation is reviewed in the future.