The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has banned the pilot-in-command of a Bombardier Challenger 601-3A aircraft from operating in Nigerian airspace and suspended the first officer, following an investigation into a June incident in which the aircraft landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport, Delta State.

NCAA Director-General Captain Chris Najomo disclosed the sanctions on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos, saying the enforcement action followed a case file passed to the Authority by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). The aircraft, registration N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Limited, has been grounded and its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight suspended.

What Happened at Asaba

The occurrence took place on 10 June 2026 during an instrument flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport. The flight crew discontinued an initial approach and repositioned for a second attempt at Runway 11, but the aircraft's navigation indications showed it established on the approach when it was not. The aircraft subsequently landed on a paved roadway under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near the airport. All seven occupants — four crew members and three passengers — evacuated safely without injury.

The incident escalated when the aircraft departed the site at approximately 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without regulatory approval, with air traffic control notified only after it was already airborne. The NCAA described the unauthorised departure as a serious breach of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.

Flight Recorder Data Overwritten

NSIB Director-General Captain Alex Badeh said the decision to fly the aircraft back to Lagos before investigators could examine it at the scene created a significant challenge for the safety investigation, as the return flight overwrote data on the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder. The Bureau said it had nonetheless recovered the flight data recorder and secured what evidence remained after its team met the aircraft on arrival in Lagos.

The crew was arrested on arrival and handed over to the State Security Service for further questioning. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo described the episode as a serious security breach, noting that the aircraft had been cleared to land on the runway but instead came down outside the secured airport environment.

Regulatory Fallout

Badeh said the NSIB had issued letters of investigation reminding operators of their legal obligation to preserve evidence following an occurrence, and that the Bureau's inquiry into both the landing and the subsequent departure remains ongoing. The NCAA said it continues to review the operator's maintenance, airworthiness and flight records as part of its own oversight process.