Asaba road-landing: NCAA suspends pilots, grounds aircraft

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilots involved in the road-landing incident near the Asaba Airport in Delta State and grounded the aircraft pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, disclosed this on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, confirming that the aircraft’s Permit to Fly had also been suspended.

The incident involved a chartered jet that landed on a road under construction close to the airport, raising safety concerns across the aviation industry and prompting calls for a comprehensive investigation.

Najomo said the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), which initially handled the safety investigation, has transferred the regulatory aspect of the case to the NCAA for further inquiry.

Najomo added that the Department of State Services (DSS) has also joined the investigation.

“The investigation is still ongoing. The NSIB has handed the investigation to us, the NCAA, and we are conducting our own inquiry. 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,” he said.

Describing the incident as highly unusual, the NCAA boss, who noted he has more than 45 years of flying experience, said he found it difficult to understand how an aircraft could mistake a road for a runway.

NSIB reveals why jet landed on Asaba construction road

“As a pilot with 45 years of experience, I will not see a road and land on it,” he said, adding that investigators are examining other possible factors behind the incident.

“We are also looking at other possible motives. The DSS has become involved and is carrying out its own investigation too. Until the report is released, that remains the position,” Najomo added.

Najomo further described the Airport Business Summit as an important forum for stakeholders to address key issues affecting the aviation sector.

He also assured industry operators that the NCAA would investigate complaints of monopoly and anti-competitive practices, stressing that the regulator remains committed to ensuring fair competition, protecting passengers’ interests and maintaining reasonable charges across the aviation industry.