The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered the immediate grounding of a privately operated aircraft and suspended its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) after it reportedly landed on a roadway near Asaba and departed the area without regulatory clearance.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 10, in the Ogwashi-Uku area, near Asaba Airport in Delta State.
In a statement, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said preliminary information available to the regulator indicates that the aircraft encountered difficulties while attempting to land at Asaba Airport and subsequently executed a missed approach.
According to Mr. Achimugu, reports from officials at the scene revealed that all occupants exited the aircraft safely and were transported to Asaba by road. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had four crew members on board.
The NCAA has directed that the aircraft be grounded immediately upon its arrival in Lagos and has placed the flight crew under regulatory review pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.
The authority further stated that aviation officials were only informed after the aircraft had already departed the area, describing the action as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
