Asaba Airport Jet Crew Still with DSS After Security Issue - Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed that the crew of the foreign private jet that landed on a concrete road instead of the runway at Asaba Airport in June are still with the Department of State Services (DSS). He described the incident as a serious security issue.

Mr Keyamo shared this information on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television. He stated that investigations are still ongoing to find out why the crew did not follow air traffic control instructions and landed outside the airport perimeter.

The minister explained that this incident is more than just an aviation problem because the aircraft had been cleared to land on the runway. Instead, it landed on a road outside the secured airport area. He said, "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."

He added that the incident had nothing to do with the airport’s navigational facilities. He insisted that air traffic controllers properly guided the aircraft to the runway. He said, "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."

Crew Left Before Investigators Arrived

Mr Keyamo mentioned that the crew raised more security concerns by leaving the scene before accident investigators could check the aircraft and question them. He said, "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."

He explained that the aircraft is registered in the United States. This is why the pilot is over 70 years old. He noted, "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."

Incident Details

The incident happened on 10 June. A US-registered Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, with registration number N989BC, was flying from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba under Instrument Flight Rules.

A preliminary report from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) showed that after stopping its initial approach, the crew tried a second approach to Runway 11, thinking they were correctly aligned with the Required Navigation Performance (RNAV) procedure. However, the aircraft landed on a paved road under construction near the airport instead of the runway.

The jet, which had four crew members and three passengers, later left the area and returned to Lagos. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

After the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded the aircraft when it arrived in Lagos. They also suspended VMO Aero Limited’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight while investigations continue.

A report from PREMIUM TIMES stated that the NSIB started an investigation to find out what caused the wrong-surface landing. They said their investigators are looking at flight data, interviewing the crew, reviewing air traffic control communications, and analyzing operational procedures according to international aviation safety standards.

This incident also caught attention because the aircraft left the scene before investigators arrived. Aviation authorities view this as not following standard accident investigation procedures. Nigeria’s aviation regulations require operators involved in serious incidents to preserve the scene and fully cooperate with investigators for an independent safety investigation.

Mr Keyamo stated that the ongoing investigation would find out why the crew failed to land on the runway even after receiving clearance and whether any further regulatory or security actions would be taken.