NCAA Suspends Pilots, Grounds Aircraft as Asaba Road Landing Probe Deepens

NCAA Suspends Pilots, Grounds Aircraft as Asaba Road Landing Probe Deepens

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilots involved in the controversial landing of a private aircraft on a roadway near Asaba, Delta State, as investigations into the incident intensify.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, announced the regulatory action on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos, saying the aircraft would remain grounded and its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) suspended until the investigation is concluded.

Najomo disclosed that while the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has transferred the regulatory aspect of the investigation to the NCAA, the Department of State Services (DSS) has also joined the probe.

"The investigation is still ongoing. The NSIB has handed the investigation to us, the NCAA, and we are carrying out our own inquiry," he said.

"As we speak, the aircraft is grounded, the PNCF is suspended, and the pilots have been suspended from operating within Nigerian airspace pending the outcome of our investigation.

"As a pilot with 45 years of experience, I will not see a road and land on it. We are also examining other possible motives. The DSS is conducting its own investigation, and the current measures will remain in place until the reports are completed."

The incident occurred on June 10 when the privately operated aircraft landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba instead of the airport runway.

Following the occurrence, the NCAA immediately grounded the aircraft and suspended the operator's PNCF after preliminary findings indicated that the aircraft departed the scene and flew back to Lagos without obtaining the mandatory regulatory clearance. The authority also stated that air traffic control was only notified after the aircraft had already become airborne.

The aircraft's operator, VMO Aero, maintained that the unusual landing followed an aborted unstable approach into Asaba Airport.

However, a preliminary report released by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) on July 9 revealed that the aircraft had initially been cleared to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport. Air traffic controllers also approved the crew's request for a right orbit during the approach.

According to the report, the crew executed a missed approach before attempting a second landing, which ended with the aircraft touching down on the nearby roadway instead of the designated runway.

The NSIB further disclosed that both the captain and second-in-command attributed the error to an observer pilot, who allegedly identified the paved roadway as the runway after the captain sought confirmation during the approach.

The NCAA said the final outcome of its investigation, alongside findings from the DSS, will determine any further regulatory or enforcement actions against those involved.