Keyamo Orders Probe, Grounds Aircraft Over Unauthorized Emergency Landing Near Asaba

The Federal Government has grounded a private aircraft and suspended its operator’s permit following an incident in which the plane made an emergency landing on a road under construction near Asaba, Delta State, before later departing without regulatory clearance.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the development in a statement on his X handle, describing the incident as a serious breach of aviation safety and regulatory procedures.

According to the minister, the aircraft had initially conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba Airport at about 7:43 a.m. It subsequently diverted and landed on a concrete road still under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area.

Keyamo stated that all four crew members on board safely exited the aircraft after the emergency landing and were later transported to Asaba by road. No injuries were recorded.

However, he raised concerns over the aircraft’s departure from the scene at about 11:02 GMT without obtaining clearance from aviation authorities. He said Air Traffic Control was not informed before the takeoff, describing the action as a violation of standard aviation protocols.

“In other words, the aircraft had no clearance to take off again,” the minister stated.

Following the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos, pending a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorized departure.

The NCAA also suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) and ordered a comprehensive audit of the airline’s operational, maintenance, airworthiness, and flight documentation records.

Authorities confirmed that the flight is now under regulatory review in collaboration with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and other aviation stakeholders to determine what led to the incident.

Security agencies have also taken custody of the crew members for questioning as part of ongoing investigations.

The aviation regulator said further enforcement actions would be taken depending on the outcome of the probe, stressing that aviation safety rules must be strictly observed to prevent future occurrences.

Officials added that the incident will be thoroughly reviewed as part of broader efforts to strengthen compliance and safety in Nigeria’s aviation sector.