The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a private aircraft and suspended the operator’s permit after it departed from an incident site near Asaba without regulatory approval, according to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Keyamo said the aircraft was involved in an incident at about 7:43 a.m. local time while attempting to land at Asaba Airport. The aircraft reportedly carried out a missed approach and landed on a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
The minister said the aircraft had four crew members on board and no injuries were recorded. He added that reports from the scene indicated all occupants exited the aircraft safely and were taken to Asaba by road.
According to Keyamo, the aircraft later left the location at about 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval.
“I am also informed that the aircraft subsequently departed the location at approximately 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the requisite regulatory approval. I also understand that Air Traffic Control was notified only after the aircraft had become airborne. In other words, the aircraft had no clearance to take off again,” he said.
Keyamo described the development as a serious breach of aviation regulations and security procedures.
He said the NCAA grounded the aircraft immediately after its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of an investigation. The authority has also placed the flight under regulatory review and is examining the circumstances surrounding both the landing incident and the aircraft’s subsequent departure.
The minister said the NCAA is working with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to establish the full details of the occurrence.
He further disclosed that the authority had suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) and would review operational, maintenance, airworthiness and flight records as part of its investigation.
“The NCAA will also review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight-related records as part of its statutory responsibilities and will take further enforcement action in accordance with applicable aviation regulations,” he said.
Keyamo added that security agencies have taken custody of the crew and are assisting with ongoing investigations.
“I have also spoken to relevant security agencies and I have been assured that the crew are in their custody and they are assisting them with their investigation,” he said.
A suitable concluding paragraph for an Arise News website story would be:
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, with aviation regulators and security agencies expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s landing and subsequent departure from the site.
Ademide Adebayo
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