Unauthorized landing of private plane on Asaba road sparks security concerns, crew detained by secret police, says Keyamo

The unauthorized landing of a foreign-registered private jet on a concrete road near Asaba Airport has been deemed a serious security breach by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, who noted that the pilots and crew have been in the custody of the Department of State Services since the incident occurred.

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Keyamo made these remarks on Channels Television on Thursday, explaining that the aircraft had received clearance to land on the airport runway but instead touched down outside the airport perimeter, sparking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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The aircraft's ill-fated landing on an unfinished concrete road in Asaba occurred barely a month ago, prompting public concerns and raising questions about the incident, which Keyamo addressed during the television program.

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Responding to inquiries about the incident, Keyamo stated, "The private jet incident was a security breach, and we are treating it as such, with the pilots and crew still in DSS custody undergoing rigorous questioning to determine why they landed where they did."

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According to Keyamo, the incident was not related to the airport's navigational facilities, as the control tower had properly cleared the aircraft for landing, with the tower at Asaba confirming the aircraft's approach and clearing them to land.

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However, instead of landing on the runway, the aircraft refused to do so, and when controllers contacted them again, it became clear that they had landed on a concrete road outside the airport, prompting further investigation.

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The crew's decision to depart the scene before accident investigators could examine the aircraft and question those on board heightened security concerns, with Keyamo disclosing that the aircraft was registered in the United States, which explained the age of the pilot, who was reportedly over 70 years old.

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Keyamo emphasized that when such a serious mistake is made, the crew is expected to remain at the scene until accident investigators arrive, but instead, the crew took off again, leading Keyamo to contact the Director-General of the DSS and arrange for the aircraft's crew to be picked up immediately on arrival in Lagos.

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The incident occurred on June 10, involving a US-registered Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, with registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Limited, which was flying from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport under Instrument Flight Rules.

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A preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau revealed that the crew discontinued their initial approach before making a second attempt to Runway 11, believing they were correctly aligned with the published RNAV approach procedure, but ultimately landed on a paved road under construction near the airport instead of the designated runway.

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The jet, which had four crew members and three passengers on board, later departed from the roadway and flew back to Lagos without any reported injuries, following which the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority grounded the aircraft on its arrival in Lagos and suspended the operator's Permit for Non-Commercial Flight.

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The ministry confirmed that security agencies had taken the flight crew into custody as part of the ongoing probe, with the investigation still underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.