The flight crew of a private aircraft that made an emergency landing on a road near Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday have been taken into custody by security agencies.

A statement yesterday by Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said that the development followed an incident involving a private jet that was unable to land at the Asaba Airport during an approach at about 7:43 a.m.

There were four crew members on board the aircraft during the incident. The aircraft subsequently touched down safely on a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area.

The statement hinted that all four crew members on board had escaped unhurt, with no fatalities.

Keyamo, in the statement, expressed grave concern over the circumstances surrounding the incident and the actions taken by the crew afterwards.

He therefore ordered an immediate investigation after receiving a briefing on the incident, describing it as a major regulatory and security concern.

According to the minister, preliminary findings revealed that after landing on the road, the aircraft later departed the location and flew back to Lagos without obtaining the mandatory regulatory approvals.

The aircraft reportedly took off from the site at about 11:02 GMT and only informed air traffic control after it was already airborne.

The statement said: “In addition, the minister has been in contact with the relevant security agencies and has received assurances that the flight crew is currently in their custody and is fully cooperating with ongoing investigations.

MEANWHILE, the Federal Government has said that the concrete road construction across the country turned out to be the saving grace when an aircraft landed on it in Delta State on Wednesday, possibly averting a crash.

Minister of works, Dave Umahi, said the concrete pavement provided the troubled aircraft the opportunity to land and successfully take off.

Umahi’s Media Adviser, Francis Nwaze, said the Nigerian aircraft developed problems while trying to land at Asaba Airport in Delta State.

“Unable to complete its landing at the airport, the aircraft eventually landed on a concrete road near Ogwashi-Uku.

“What could have ended in tragedy is now a story of survival. All crew members on board escaped without injury.”