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 unauthorized departure to Lagos.

NCAA in a statement signed by the Director Consumer Protection and Public Affairs Michael Achimugu on Wednesday, 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 statement stated that the aircraft thereafter landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba with all the four crew members exiting the aircraft safely without no injuries. 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 stated that 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 unauthorized 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.

As an interim measure, the NCAA suspended the operator’s PNCF permit and said it would review all operational, airworthiness, maintenance and flight-related records in line with its statutory responsibilities.

The Authority added that further enforcement actions would be taken where necessary in accordance with applicable aviation regulations.

The NCAA reiterated its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety, security and regulatory compliance across the country’s aviation sector.