The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sanctioned the flight crew involved in the June 10, 2026 incident in which a private jet landed on a construction road near Asaba Airport in Delta State, pending the outcome of ongoing regulatory investigations.
Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos, NCAA Director-General Capt. Chris Najomo said the pilot-in-command has been banned from operating in Nigerian airspace, while the First Officer has been suspended. He also confirmed that the Bombardier Challenger CL601-3A aircraft, registered N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Ltd, has been grounded and its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) suspended.
“As we speak, the aircraft has been grounded, the Permit to Fly has been suspended, and the pilots have also been suspended pending the outcome of our investigation,” Najomo said.
The aircraft was operating an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport with seven people on board, comprising the Pilot-in-Command, First Officer, an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers. All occupants survived the incident, with only minor damage reported to the aircraft’s left nose-wheel assembly.
According to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s (NSIB) preliminary report, the crew discontinued their initial approach before attempting a second approach to Runway 11. While the two operating pilots maintained that their navigation displays indicated proper alignment with the runway, the observer pilot reported that the aircraft remained in cloud conditions late into the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System repeatedly issued “Terrain, Terrain, Pull Up” alerts.
The NSIB stressed that its preliminary report does not apportion blame or determine the cause of the occurrence, noting that investigations remain ongoing.
Separately, the NCAA is investigating reports that the aircraft departed the incident site and returned to Lagos without obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and air traffic control clearances. The regulatory review is running alongside the NSIB’s safety investigation, while security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), are also examining aspects of the incident.
Najomo described the occurrence as highly unusual and said the authority would determine whether additional enforcement actions are necessary after the investigations are concluded.
The June 10 incident has drawn significant attention within Nigeria’s aviation industry, raising fresh concerns over operational compliance, flight crew decision-making and adherence to established safety procedures.
