Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed that the pilots and crew of a foreign-registered private jet that made an unauthorised landing on a concrete road near Asaba Airport remain in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). He described the incident as a serious security breach warranting a thorough investigation.
Clearance Ignored, Road Used Instead
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, July 30, Keyamo stated that the aircraft had been properly cleared to land on the runway at Asaba Airport. However, the crew chose to land on a concrete road outside the airport perimeter instead. “The private jet incident was a security breach, and we are treating it as such. The pilots and crew are still in DSS custody undergoing rigorous questioning to determine why they landed where they did,” the minister said.
According to Keyamo, the incident was not caused by any failure of the airport's navigational facilities. Air traffic controllers had issued proper landing clearance. “The tower at Asaba asked if they were on approach and cleared them to land. But they refused to land on the runway. When controllers contacted them again, asking, 'You are not on the runway, where are you?' it became clear they had landed on a concrete road outside the airport,” he explained.
Crew Departed Before Investigation Began
The minister also criticised the crew for leaving the scene before accident investigators could inspect the aircraft and interview those on board. “When you make such a serious mistake, you are expected to remain at the scene until accident investigators arrive. Instead, the crew took off again. That was when I contacted the Director-General of the DSS, and arrangements were made for the aircraft's crew to be picked up immediately on arrival in Lagos,” Keyamo said.
He disclosed that the aircraft was registered in the United States, noting that the pilot was over 70 years old. “The aircraft is not Nigerian-registered; it is registered in the United States. That is why the pilot is over 70 years old. Under Nigerian regulations, commercial pilots cannot continue flying beyond the age of 65. Foreign-registered aircraft operating under wet lease, dry lease or short-term lease arrangements often come into Nigeria for limited periods before returning to their home base,” he added.
Incident Details and Subsequent Actions
The incident occurred on June 10 when the US-registered Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, operated by VMO Aero Limited, was flying from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to Asaba Airport under Instrument Flight Rules. According to a preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the crew abandoned their initial approach before making a second attempt to Runway 11 but mistakenly landed on a paved road under construction near the airport instead of the designated runway.
The aircraft had four crew members and three passengers on board. After landing on the road, the crew later departed from the road and returned to Lagos without any reported injuries. Following the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded the aircraft, suspended the operator's Permit for Non-Commercial Flight and launched a comprehensive investigation. Security agencies took the flight crew into custody as part of the ongoing probe.
