The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the operational permit of a private aircraft operator following an incident in which one of its planes landed on a roadway near Asaba, Delta State, and later departed without regulatory approval.
According to the NCAA, the aircraft experienced difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport.
After a missed approach at about 7:43 am local time, the plane touched down on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area.
All four crew members on board exited safely and were taken to Asaba by road, with no injuries reported.
The regulator said the aircraft later took off from the location around 11:02 am GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the necessary clearance. Air traffic control was only notified after the plane was already airborne, which the NCAA described as a violation of civil aviation regulations.
Upon arrival in Lagos, the aircraft was grounded pending investigation. The flight crew have been placed under regulatory review, and the operator’s permit for non-commercial flight has been suspended.
The NCAA has informed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and is working with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and the operator to determine the full circumstances of the incident. Operational, maintenance, and flight records will be reviewed, with further enforcement actions possible.
