The Asaba road landing involving a VMO Aero Limited aircraft has triggered sweeping enforcement action by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), with the regulator grounding the aircraft, suspending the operating pilots and halting the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) pending the outcome of investigations.
Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, announced the sanctions while speaking on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos. He said the NCAA would thoroughly investigate the Asaba road landing after the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) transferred the regulatory aspect of the case to the Authority.
“The investigation is still ongoing. NSIB has handed the investigation to us, the CAA, and we are doing our own investigation. As we speak, the aircraft is grounded, the PNCF is suspended, and the pilots are suspended from flying in this airspace until we come up with our own investigation,” Najomo said.
The NCAA boss stressed that the regulator would not rush to conclusions despite the seriousness of the Asaba road landing. He said every available piece of evidence would be examined before any final determination is made.
Najomo, who has spent about 45 years as a pilot, said the incident was highly unusual and warranted a comprehensive investigation involving other security agencies.
“Because me as a pilot for 45 years, I will not see a road and land on the road. So, we will look at the other motives too. The DSS got involved and they are investigating. Until those investigations come out, it remains like that,” he added.
The Asaba road landing occurred on 10 June 2026 during an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport. The Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, registered N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Limited, carried seven occupants comprising four crew members and three passengers. Fortunately, nobody was injured.
According to the NSIB’s preliminary report, the crew abandoned their first landing attempt and carried out a standard go-around before positioning for another approach to Runway 11. The pilots later reported that the aircraft’s navigation displays indicated they were correctly established on the published RNAV approach.
However, instead of touching down on the runway, the aircraft landed on a newly paved road that was still under construction near the airport. Following the Asaba road landing, the crew shut down the aircraft, conducted an inspection and safely disembarked the passengers before later flying the aircraft back to Lagos.
A post-flight inspection later revealed damage to the aircraft’s left nose-wheel assembly. Meanwhile, investigators have recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), commonly known as the aircraft’s black boxes, for detailed analysis at the NSIB Transport Safety Laboratory in Abuja.
The Bureau has also reviewed statements from the flight crew, witnesses, Air Traffic Control personnel and operational records. However, it stressed that the preliminary report does not establish blame or identify the cause of the Asaba road landing. Those findings will only be contained in the final investigation report prepared in accordance with ICAO Annex 13.
Asaba road landing highlights safety oversight
Speaking on the Airport Business Summit, Najomo described the event as timely and beneficial to the aviation industry. He said it provided stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss challenges affecting airport operations and regulatory oversight while promoting fair competition across the sector.
“This summit is a welcome summit and it is a good one. We want to make sure that nobody monopolises. We want to make sure that the airline profits, the passenger benefits and the charges are not too high,” he said.
The NCAA maintains that its priority is to protect passengers while preserving confidence in Nigeria’s aviation system. Therefore, the sanctions imposed after the Asaba road landing will remain in force until all technical, operational and security investigations have been completed.
With both the NCAA and NSIB continuing separate but complementary investigations, the Asaba road landing is expected to shape future safety recommendations for flight operations in Nigeria. The regulator insists that the focus remains on preventing a recurrence while ensuring every lesson from the incident strengthens aviation safety across the country.
