KEYAMO DESCRIBES ASABA PRIVATE JET LANDING AS SECURITY BREACH, SAYS CREW STILL IN DSS CUSTODY
Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has described the unauthorised landing of a foreign-registered private jet on a concrete road near Asaba Airport as a serious security breach, revealing that the pilots and crew remain in the custody of the Department of State Services as investigations continue.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Keyamo said the aircraft had been cleared to land on the runway at Asaba Airport but instead landed on a concrete road outside the airport perimeter, prompting an immediate security response.
“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.
He stressed that the incident was not caused by any failure of the airport’s navigational facilities, explaining that air traffic controllers had properly cleared the aircraft for landing.
“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 said.
Keyamo said the crew compounded the situation by departing the scene before accident investigators arrived to examine 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,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the aircraft was registered in the United States, noting that this explained why the pilot, reportedly over 70 years old, was legally permitted to operate the flight.
“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.
The incident occurred on June 10 when the US-registered Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Limited, was flying from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport under Instrument Flight Rules.
According to a preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, the crew aborted their initial approach before attempting a second approach to Runway 11, believing they were aligned with the published RNAV approach procedure. However, the aircraft landed on a paved road under construction near the airport instead of the designated runway.
The jet, which had four crew members and three passengers on board, later departed from the roadway and returned to Lagos without any reported injuries.
Following the incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos, suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight and launched a comprehensive investigation. The Federal Government also directed security agencies to take the flight crew into custody as part of the ongoing probe.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0