Aviation Minister Orders Probe as Aircraft Lands on Under-Construction Road Near Asaba Airport

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered a full-scale investigation into a bizarre aviation incident in which a private aircraft missed landing at Asaba Airport and instead touched down on a concrete road still under construction before taking off again without clearance.

In a statement on Wednesday, Keyamo described the incident as a serious breach of aviation safety and security regulations, confirming that the aircraft has since been grounded pending investigation.

According to preliminary reports, the aircraft was on approach to Asaba Airport at about 7:43 a.m. when it conducted a missed landing attempt but ended up on a concrete road in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba, Delta State.

Authorities said all four crew members on board escaped unhurt and were safely evacuated to Asaba by road.

However, the situation escalated when the aircraft reportedly took off again from the makeshift location around 11:02 GMT without obtaining clearance from air traffic control.

Keyamo expressed concern that regulatory authorities were only informed after the aircraft had already become airborne, describing the action as a clear violation of aviation procedures.

He confirmed that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded the aircraft and commenced a full investigation into both the emergency landing and the unauthorized departure. The regulator is also working alongside the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other aviation stakeholders to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The minister said the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) has been suspended, while all operational, maintenance, and airworthiness records will be reviewed in line with regulatory standards.

He added that security agencies have also been involved, with the crew members currently assisting investigators.

Authorities say further enforcement actions will be taken depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations, as concerns grow over adherence to aviation safety protocols in Nigeria’s airspace system.