NCAA grounds plane after emergency landing on Delta Road, suspends operator’s permit – THIS UPDATE

By Ayo Kehinde

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a privately operated plane and suspended the operator’s permit for non-commercial flying (PNCF) following an emergency landing on a road near Asaba, Delta State, and its subsequent unauthorized departure for Lagos.

The aviation regulator disclosed the development in a preliminary report published on Wednesday, detailing the circumstances of the accident and immediate regulatory actions taken against the operator and flight crew.

According to the NCAA, the plane was involved in an accident while attempting to land at Asaba airport in the early hours of Wednesday.

The authority said preliminary information available indicates that the plane made a missed approach at around 7.43am local time while attempting to land in Asaba.

The plane later landed on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba in circumstances that are now under investigation.

Reports received from personnel at the scene indicated that all occupants safely exited the aircraft after landing and were transported to Asaba by road.

The NCAA said there were four crew members on board at the time of the crash and that no injuries had been reported to passengers or crew.

While confirming that the emergency landing did not cause any casualties, the Authority expressed concern about the movement of the plane after the incident.

According to the preliminary report, the plane then left the location at around 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the necessary regulatory approval from aviation authorities.

The regulator also revealed that air traffic control was only informed after the plane was already in the air.

“This action constitutes a breach of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) and is currently under investigation by the Authority,” the NCAA said.

Responding to the development, the NCAA said it immediately grounded the plane upon its arrival in Lagos pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation. The Authority has also placed the flight crew under regulatory scrutiny while investigations into both the emergency landing and subsequent unauthorized departure continue.

“The flight crew has been placed under regulatory review as the NCAA conducts further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event and subsequent unauthorized departure of the aircraft,” the statement read.

As part of the investigative process, the NCAA said it has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the incident and has been working with aviation stakeholders to establish all the facts of the incident.

Stakeholders involved in the investigation include the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

With a further coercive measure, the Authority announced the suspension of the operator’s Non-Commercial Flight Permit (PNCF), effectively stopping its operations pending the outcome of the investigation.

The NCAA said investigators will review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related data associated with the plane and its operator to determine whether any regulatory violations occurred before, during or after the crash.

“The Authority will 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,” the statement adds.

The regulator stressed that the report remains preliminary and that further details may emerge as the investigation proceeds.

Reaffirming its commitment to safety oversight, the NCAA said it will continue to enforce the highest standards of aviation safety, security and regulatory compliance across Nigeria’s aviation sector.