The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed an aircraft incident near Asaba, Delta State, and condemned the unauthorised manner in which the affected aircraft later took off and returned to Lagos without obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, the NCAA said the privately operated aircraft conducted a missed approach at about 7:43 a.m. local time while attempting to land at Asaba Airport. The aircraft, a U.S.-registered Bombardier Challenger 601 with four crew members on board, subsequently came down on a roadway under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba. All four occupants exited safely with no injuries reported and were transported to Asaba by road.

According to the NCAA, the aircraft later departed the incident location at approximately 11:02 GMT and flew back to Lagos without securing the required regulatory or safety clearance, with Air Traffic Control only notified after the aircraft was already airborne. The authority described the unauthorised departure as a serious violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations and said it has since grounded the aircraft, placed the flight crew under regulatory review, and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight pending the outcome of investigations.

The NCAA said it has notified the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and is coordinating with the aircraft operator and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency as it examines the operational, maintenance, airworthiness, and flight-related circumstances surrounding both the emergency landing and the subsequent departure.

Reacting to the incident, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described it as a serious breach of aviation regulations and security protocols, stressing that the aircraft had no clearance to take off again from the scene. He confirmed that several enforcement actions had already been taken in response, even as both the ministry and the regulator reaffirmed their commitment to safety, security, and regulatory compliance across Nigeria’s aviation sector.