Investigation reveals conflicting accounts over emergency response as safety bureau recommends nationwide reforms following private jet incident….
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed that emergency responders took nearly two hours to reach a private jet that mistakenly landed on a road under construction instead of the runway at Asaba Airport, raising fresh concerns over emergency response procedures at Nigerian airports.
The disclosure is contained in the bureau’s preliminary report on the June 10 incident involving a Challenger 601-3A aircraft, with registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Limited.
According to the report, the aircraft, which departed Lagos for Asaba with seven people on board, landed on the construction roadway at about 8:57 p.m. after making two unsuccessful attempts to approach the airport runway.
The NSIB said the aircraft remained at the scene for approximately two hours before taking off directly from the roadway.
“This investigation established that the aircraft landed on a roadway under construction instead of the intended runway, remained at the occurrence site for approximately two hours and subsequently departed directly from the roadway,” the bureau stated.
Conflicting Accounts Over Rescue Response
The investigation uncovered differing versions of what happened after the aircraft came to a stop.
According to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the air traffic controller on duty reported that an airport rescue team arrived at the location at about 9:32 p.m. and found the aircraft apparently undamaged, with the passengers already gone.
However, both the pilot-in-command (PIC) and the second-in-command (SIC) disputed that account during interviews with investigators.
The flight crew insisted that no airport emergency personnel physically reached the aircraft before it departed the roadway.
Instead, the pilot said he personally carried out an inspection of the aircraft, including its landing gear, tyres, structural components and the condition of the paved surface before concluding it was safe to continue the flight.
The NSIB said the incident highlights the urgent need for clearly defined national procedures governing aircraft management after accidents or serious incidents, as well as stronger coordination among aviation agencies responsible for emergency response and investigations.
Tower Recording System Was Not Working
The report also disclosed that the voice-recording system at the Asaba control tower was not operational during the incident.
According to the bureau, NAMA informed investigators that the recording equipment was unserviceable at the time, making it impossible to retrieve the original audio communications between the aircraft and air traffic controllers.
As a result, investigators relied on reconstructed operational records rather than actual voice recordings while preparing the preliminary report.
Safety Concerns Raised Before Take-off
Investigators further revealed that concerns had been expressed before the aircraft even departed Lagos.
An observer pilot who was travelling onboard reportedly noticed discrepancies while the Flight Management System (FMS) was being programmed and alerted the flight crew.
According to the report, the pilot-in-command told the observer that he was not certified to operate that aircraft type and was only travelling in an observational capacity, advising him not to interfere with the aircraft’s preparation.
The NSIB noted that both the pilot-in-command and second-in-command later acknowledged that the crew experienced challenges while configuring the flight before departure.
NSIB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations
Following the preliminary findings, the bureau issued three immediate safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents.
It urged the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in collaboration with NAMA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to establish national procedures for handling aircraft involved in accidents or serious incidents outside designated runways or taxiways.
The proposed guidelines, according to the bureau, should clearly define when an aircraft can be moved after an accident and require a comprehensive technical assessment by qualified personnel before any affected aircraft is cleared for another flight.
The NSIB also called on FAAN to strengthen emergency response procedures at airports to ensure that aircraft involved in accidents or serious incidents receive prompt attention from rescue and operational teams.
In addition, the bureau asked NAMA to review the reliability and maintenance of air traffic control voice-recording systems at airports nationwide to ensure critical communication records are preserved during investigations.
Although all seven occupants safely evacuated the aircraft without injuries, a subsequent inspection conducted after the jet returned to Lagos revealed damage to its left nose-wheel assembly.
The NSIB said investigations are continuing and will examine the aircraft’s navigation systems, VMO Aero Limited’s crew resource management procedures and the existing regulatory framework governing aircraft movement after accidents and serious incidents.
