The crew of the private aircraft that made an emergency landing on a road in Delta State remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) as investigations into the incident continue, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed.
Mr Keyamo said the four-member flight crew were being detained by security agencies over what he described as a serious breach of aviation regulations and a matter of national security following the aircraft’s controversial landing and subsequent unauthorised departure.
The aircraft was attempting to land at Asaba Airport when it failed to reach the runway and instead touched down safely on a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State. All four crew members escaped unhurt and no casualties were reported.
According to the minister, preliminary findings showed that after landing on the roadway, the aircraft later departed the scene and flew back to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance from aviation authorities.
He said the flight crew only notified Air Traffic Control after they were already airborne, describing the action as a grave violation of established aviation procedures.
“The flight crew are currently in the custody of the relevant security agencies and are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations,” Mr Keyamo said in a statement issued through his media aide, Tunde Moshood.
The minister said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had grounded the aircraft and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight pending the outcome of a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s operational records, maintenance history, airworthiness certification and flight documentation to determine the circumstances that led to the unusual landing and the unauthorised take-off.
Mr Keyamo assured Nigerians that the investigation would be transparent and thorough, stressing that no individual or operator would be allowed to circumvent aviation safety regulations regardless of status.
The incident has triggered widespread concern within Nigeria’s aviation sector, with regulators describing it as one of the most serious recent breaches of air safety procedures.
