NSIB Publishes Preliminary Report on Aircraft That Landed on Road Near Asaba Airport

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has released the preliminary report into the serious incident involving a Bombardier Challenger 601-3A aircraft that landed on a paved road under construction near Asaba Airport, saying investigations are continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

The Bureau, however, stressed that the preliminary report does not establish the cause of the incident, but contains only factual information gathered during the early stages of the investigation, alongside initial findings and immediate safety recommendations.

The aircraft, with nationality and registration marks N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Limited, was involved in the occurrence on 10 June 2026 while operating an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, to Asaba Airport in Delta State.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance of the NSIB, Mrs Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe, the aircraft encountered the incident while attempting to land at Asaba Airport.

The Bureau explained that during the approach into Asaba, the flight crew abandoned the initial landing attempt before repositioning the aircraft for a second approach to Runway 11.

It stated that the pilots reported that the aircraft’s navigation displays indicated that it was correctly established on the published Area Navigation (RNAV) Runway 11 approach.

Despite those indications, the aircraft landed on a paved roadway that was under construction in the vicinity of the airport instead of the designated runway.

There were seven people on board the aircraft at the time of the occurrence, comprising four crew members and three passengers. The Bureau confirmed that no injuries were sustained by any of the occupants.

Following the unexpected landing, the aircraft was shut down and subjected to an inspection while passengers safely disembarked.

The NSIB said the aircraft was later flown from the roadway back to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos without any further operational abnormalities being reported during the return flight.

However, a detailed post-flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft’s left nose-wheel assembly.

Providing an update on the investigation, the Bureau said investigators have already gathered information from multiple sources, including interviews with the flight crew and witnesses, Air Traffic Control communications and operational records, technical examinations of the aircraft, relevant operational documents, and data recovered from the aircraft’s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR).

According to the NSIB, both flight recorders were successfully retrieved from the aircraft and downloaded at its Transport Safety Laboratory in Abuja, where technical analysis is continuing.

The Bureau noted that the investigation remains active and that further examinations of the available evidence are being conducted before any conclusions can be reached.

It explained that the preliminary report has been issued in line with international accident investigation procedures and is intended to keep the public and aviation stakeholders informed of factual developments without assigning blame or determining liability.

“The preliminary report contains the factual information established during the investigation to date, including initial findings based on the evidence currently available and immediate safety recommendations arising from safety issues identified at this stage of the investigation,” the statement said.

It added that the report “does not include analysis or conclusions regarding the causes or contributing factors associated with the occurrence, as the investigation remains ongoing.”

The NSIB assured stakeholders that a comprehensive final report would be published after the investigation has been completed in accordance with the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The final report, it said, will include detailed analysis of the occurrence, conclusions on the factors responsible for the incident and any additional safety recommendations considered necessary to enhance aviation safety.

The Bureau also announced that the preliminary report has been uploaded to its official website and is available for download by the public, aviation professionals and members of the media.

The release of the report marks another step in the Bureau’s statutory responsibility to investigate aviation occurrences with the objective of improving safety, preventing future accidents and strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s air transport system through independent and transparent investigations.