Rita Enemuru, Reporting
ASABA — The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that a private aircraft made an emergency landing on an ongoing bypass access road to the Second Niger Bridge in Asaba, Delta State – before departing without regulatory clearance.
In a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA said the plane missed its approach at approximately 7:43am local time on Wednesday and touched down on a roadway in Ogwashi-Uku, near Asaba.
All four crew members onboard exited safely, and no injuries were recorded, the Authority confirmed.
However, according to preliminary findings, the aircraft later departed the location at around 11:02 GMT en route to Lagos – without obtaining the required regulatory approval.
The NCAA noted that Air Traffic Control was only informed after the plane had already taken off.
The unauthorised departure constitutes a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs), the Authority said, and is currently under investigation.
Upon arrival in Lagos, the aircraft was immediately grounded by the NCAA, while the crew members were placed under regulatory review pending the outcome of investigations into both the emergency landing and the subsequent unauthorised flight.
The NCAA added that it has notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and is working closely with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
As an immediate regulatory measure, the Authority suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) pending a comprehensive review of its operational and maintenance records.
Reaffirming its commitment to aviation safety, security and strict regulatory compliance, the NCAA assured the public that all necessary actions would be taken to ensure accountability and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
