The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded an aircraft following an emergency road landing near Asaba, Delta State, and its subsequent return to Lagos without regulatory approval.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu.

The regulator said the decision followed preliminary findings from the incident and is part of ongoing investigations into compliance breaches surrounding the flight operation.

What they are saying 

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said it grounded the aircraft after it was involved in an emergency road landing near Asaba and subsequently returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance.

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According to the Authority, preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at about 07:43 local time before diverting and landing on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near the Delta State capital.

  • “Available information indicates that the aircraft conducted a missed approach at approximately 0743 local time while attempting to land at Asaba. Subsequently, the aircraft reportedly landed on a roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba,” the Authority said.

The regulator further stated that the aircraft later departed the location at about 11:02 GMT and returned to Lagos without obtaining the requisite regulatory approval, adding that Air Traffic Control was only notified after the aircraft had become airborne.

  • “This action constitutes a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) and is currently under investigation by the Authority,” it said.

The NCAA added that the aircraft was immediately grounded upon arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations, while further enforcement actions would depend on the final regulatory findings.

More insights

The NCAA confirmed that all four crew members on board safely exited the aircraft after the road landing and were transported to Asaba by road, with no injuries reported.

  • Following the incident, the Authority said it immediately grounded the aircraft upon arrival in Lagos and placed the flight crew under regulatory review.
  • The operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) has been suspended pending the outcome of investigations.
  • The incident has been formally reported to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
  • The NCAA is coordinating with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other aviation stakeholders.

Operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight records will be reviewed as part of the investigation. The regulator said additional enforcement actions will be taken where necessary once investigations are concluded.

What you should know

The NCAA has previously grounded aircraft and suspended operators over safety and regulatory concerns.

For instance, in June 2025, the regulator grounded a Rano Air aircraft after it suffered an engine failure mid-air and a fire scare.

The NCAA said the pilot safely landed the aircraft and that standard safety procedures were activated following the incident.

In January 2025, the Authority suspended Max Air’s domestic operations for three months after one of its Boeing 737 aircraft suffered a nose landing gear collapse and rear tyre burst while landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau subsequently launched an investigation into the incident while the NCAA carried out safety oversight measures.

Max Air was later cleared to resume domestic operations from March 17, 2025, after completing a comprehensive economic and safety audit conducted by the NCAA, highlighting the regulator’s willingness to enforce operational restrictions where safety concerns arise.