The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded a privately operated aircraft and suspended the operator’s permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) following an emergency landing near Asaba, Delta State, and its subsequent unauthorised departure to Lagos.

NCAA, in a statement signed by its Director, Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, yesterday, said preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft conducted a missed approach at about 7:43 a.m. local time while attempting to land at Asaba Airport.

The aircraft thereafter landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba, with all four crew members exiting safely without injury. They were reportedly transported to Asaba by road.

However, the NCAA said preliminary findings revealed that the aircraft later departed the location at approximately 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval.

It also accused the aircraft of reportedly notifying the Air Traffic Control after it was airborne, describing the action as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs).

The statement said the Authority immediately grounded the aircraft upon arrival in Lagos, pending the outcome of the investigation. It also placed the flight crew under regulatory review as the NCAA continues inquiries into the circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the unauthorised departure.

The Authority said it has formally notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the occurrence and is working with relevant aviation stakeholders, including the operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), to determine the full circumstances of the incident.