The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority moved swiftly Wednesday to ground a privately operated aircraft and suspend its operator’s flying permit after the plane made an emergency landing on a road near Asaba and then took off for Lagos without regulatory approval.
The incident, which unfolded on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, is now under full investigation, according to a press release signed by Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA.
Trouble started at approximately 0743 local time when the aircraft conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba, Achimugu said. What happened next turned a routine flight into a major regulatory breach. The aircraft came down on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba.
Despite the dramatic landing, all four crew members on board escaped unhurt. Personnel at the scene reported that the occupants safely exited the aircraft and were transported to Asaba by road. No injuries to passengers or crew have been reported so far, Achimugu confirmed.
But the saga did not end on the road. Preliminary information available to the Authority shows the aircraft later departed the location at approximately 1102 GMT and returned to Lagos. The problem: it did so without obtaining the requisite regulatory approval. To make matters worse, Air Traffic Control was notified only after the aircraft was already airborne.
Achimugu described that move as a clear violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. The NCAA is treating it as a serious breach and has launched an investigation.
The response was immediate. Once the aircraft touched down in Lagos, the NCAA grounded it pending the outcome of the probe. The flight crew have also been placed under regulatory review while investigators piece together the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorized departure.
The NCAA has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau of the occurrence. Achimugu said the Authority is now coordinating with relevant aviation stakeholders, including the operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, to establish the full facts of the incident.
In a further clampdown, the NCAA has suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight. Achimugu stated that the Authority will review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight-related records as part of its statutory responsibilities. Further enforcement action will follow in line with applicable aviation regulations.
“The NCAA remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, security, and regulatory compliance within the Nigerian aviation sector,” Achimugu said.
Investigations are ongoing, and the aircraft remains grounded in Lagos.
