Asaba Airport Unauthorized Takeoff After Roadway Landing: NCAA Grounds Aircraft, Launches Probe

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed an incident involving a private aircraft that made an emergency landing on a roadway near Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, 10 June 2026, and later departed the scene for Lagos without regulatory approval.

According to Michael Achimugu, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, the aircraft missed its approach at about 07:43 local time and came to rest on a road in Ogwashi-Uku. All four crew members evacuated without injury.

Preliminary NCAA findings indicate the aircraft left the roadside location at approximately 11:02 GMT and flew to Lagos without authorization. Air Traffic Control was only alerted after the aircraft had already taken off.

The Authority says that the departure, carried out without the required clearances, breaches the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) and has prompted a formal investigation.

On arrival in Lagos, NCAA personnel grounded the aircraft and placed the crew under regulatory review while investigators examine the circumstances of both the emergency landing and the subsequent unauthorized departure.

NCAA has notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and is coordinating with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to gather operational and maintenance records.

The operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) has been suspended pending the outcome of those reviews.

The NCAA reiterated its commitment to maintaining safety, security, and regulatory compliance across Nigeria’s aviation sector and said appropriate enforcement actions will follow based on the investigation’s findings.