NSIB Unveils Early Findings on Asaba Airport Landing Incident
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has disclosed that the crew of a private jet that mistakenly landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport had first abandoned an initial landing attempt before making a second approach that ended on the wrong surface. According to the Bureau's preliminary report on the June 10 occurrence, the Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, registered as N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Limited, was flying from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to Asaba under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Investigators said the pilots discontinued their first approach, repositioned the aircraft, and carried out another approach to Runway 11 using the published RNAV procedure. The flight crew later reported that the aircraft's navigation system indicated they were correctly established on the approach path. However, the jet ultimately touched down on a nearby paved road that was still under construction instead of the airport runway. The aircraft had seven people on board, including four crew members and three passengers. No injuries were reported. After stopping on the roadway, the crew shut down the aircraft, conducted an inspection, safely disembarked the passengers, and later flew the aircraft back to Lagos. A post-flight examination identified damage to the left nose-wheel assembly. The NSIB said investigators have reviewed information from the flight crew, witnesses, air traffic control recordings, operational records, and data recovered from both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder. The recorders were downloaded and are undergoing detailed analysis at the Bureau's Transport Safety Laboratory in Abuja.
The latest findings align with earlier remarks by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, who ruled out mechanical failure as a factor. He explained that air traffic controllers had cleared the aircraft to land but later lost visual contact with it before discovering the crew had landed on the nearby construction road, believing it was the runway. Keyamo added that the circumstances surrounding the incident are also being examined by security agencies, describing the matter as one with broader national security implications. Meanwhile, the NSIB emphasized that its investigation remains ongoing and stressed that the preliminary report presents only the facts established so far without assigning blame or identifying the probable cause of the incident.
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