NCAA Suspends Pilots Over Asaba Roadway Landing Incident

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilots involved in the recent aircraft roadway landing incident near Asaba, Delta State, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, announced the decision on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos on Wednesday. He disclosed that the aircraft has also been grounded, while its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) remains suspended until the investigation is concluded.

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

“The investigation is still ongoing. The NSIB has handed the investigation to us, the NCAA, and we are conducting our own inquiry,” he said.

“As we speak, the aircraft is grounded, the PNCF is suspended, and the pilots have been suspended from flying within Nigeria’s airspace until our investigation is completed.

“As a pilot with 45 years of experience, I will not mistake a road for a runway. 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 released.”

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. The NCAA subsequently grounded the aircraft and suspended the operator’s permit after preliminary findings revealed that the aircraft later departed the location and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance.

According to the authority, air traffic control was only informed after the aircraft had already taken off.

Responding to the incident, VMO Aero explained that the crew had aborted an unstable approach into Asaba Airport before the mistaken landing.

In its preliminary report released on July 9, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said the aircraft had been cleared to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport and was authorised by air traffic control to perform a right orbit during the landing sequence.

The report stated that after executing a missed approach, the crew made a second landing attempt, which resulted in the aircraft touching down on a roadway instead of the designated runway.

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