The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded an aircraft and suspended its operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) following an emergency road landing near Asaba, Delta State, and its subsequent return to Lagos without regulatory approval.
The incident, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, is currently under investigation for multiple compliance breaches.
Preliminary findings revealed that the aircraft conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at the Asaba airport at about 07:43 local time on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. It was later diverted and reportedly made an emergency landing on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near the Delta State capital.
“Available information indicates that the aircraft conducted a missed approach at approximately 0743 local time while attempting to land at Asaba. Subsequently, the aircraft reportedly landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba,” the Authority stated.
The NCAA further disclosed that the aircraft departed the location at about 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance, noting that Air Traffic Control was only informed after the aircraft had already taken off.
According to the regulator, the action constitutes a violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) and is currently being investigated.
The Authority confirmed that all four crew members on board safely exited the aircraft after the road landing and were transported to Asaba by road. No injuries were reported.
Upon arrival in Lagos, the aircraft was immediately grounded pending the outcome of investigations. The operator’s PNCF was also suspended, while the flight crew has been placed under regulatory review.
The NCAA said the incident has been formally reported to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and that it is working with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other aviation stakeholders.
It added that operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight records will be thoroughly reviewed, with further enforcement actions to follow based on the final findings.
The regulator noted that this is not the first time it has taken such action over safety concerns, recalling previous incidents, including the grounding of a Rano Air aircraft in June 2025 after an engine failure mid-air, and the suspension of Max Air’s domestic operations in January 2025 following a landing gear failure incident in Kano.
The NCAA said it remains committed to enforcing aviation safety standards and ensuring compliance with operational regulations across all airlines and operators in Nigeria.
(The Whistler)