Banner Online News

By Our Reporter

(With reports from pgsnewsonline.com)

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a private aircraft and launched an investigation after it made an emergency landing on the Second Niger Bridge bypass access road in Delta State and later departed without obtaining regulatory approval.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA confirmed that the aircraft was involved in an incident near Ogwashi-Uku, close to Asaba, after missing its approach at about 7:43 a.m. local time.

The Authority disclosed that all four crew members on board safely evacuated the aircraft and that no injuries were recorded.

However, preliminary investigations revealed that the aircraft subsequently took off from the location at approximately 11:02 GMT and flew to Lagos without securing the mandatory clearance from aviation regulators. The NCAA said Air Traffic Control was only informed after the aircraft had already departed.

According to the Authority, the unauthorized departure constitutes a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) and has become a major focus of the ongoing investigation.

Upon landing 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 unauthorized flight.

The NCAA said it has notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and is collaborating with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As part of immediate enforcement measures, 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 appropriate sanctions and corrective actions would be taken where necessary to ensure accountability and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.