THE Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has disclosed that the Bombardier Challenger CL-601 aircraft, with registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Limited, which landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport in Delta State on June 10, this year, aborted its initial approach to the airport before making a second attempt that ended on a site near the runway.
NSIB said in a preliminary report released on Friday, July 10, that the aircraft was flying under Instrument Flight Rules from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to Asaba Airport when the incident occurred.
The report explained that the crew abandoned their first approach into Asaba Airport, repositioned the aircraft for another approach to Runway 11 and believed they were correctly aligned with the published RNAV approach procedure, adding: “The flight crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation indications displayed the aircraft as established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.”
It ended up on a paved road under construction close to the airport instead of the designated runway, with no injuries to the seven occupants on board, comprising four crew members and three passengers.
The report stated that the aircraft came to a stop, it was shut down and inspected before the passengers disembarked safely, adding: “The aircraft subsequently departed from the roadway and returned to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, without further reported operational abnormalities.
“A post-flight examination identified damage to the left nose-wheel assembly.”
The NSIB explained that the preliminary findings were based on information obtained from the flight crew, witnesses, air traffic control records, operational documents, examination of the aircraft, and data extracted from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder.
It added: “The recorders were retrieved and downloaded at the Bureau’s Transport Safety Laboratory in Abuja. Technical examinations and further analysis remain ongoing.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had one week ago, dismissed speculation that the aircraft suffered a mechanical fault.
Speaking on a television programme, Keyamo said the aircraft had received clearance to land at Asaba Airport before controllers lost visual contact with it, noting: “The tower in Asaba cleared them to land.
“After about two minutes, the tower called and said, ‘Where is your location? I can’t see you again. I can’t see you on the tarmac.’
“But they (the pilots) said they had landed, so the tower asked, ‘Landed where?’ I can see the whole of the runway and aprons, but you are not there.
“So, they said they landed on a roadway that they saw. It happened that it was a construction site very close to the airport. They saw a beautiful road there that looked like a runway and landed there.
“Before they (relevant agency) could go there and ask questions, they (pilots) took off to Lagos after dropping their passengers. There was no mechanical failure, and that was why they could take off again.
“However, those facts are before the Department of State Services (DSS). It has gone beyond aviation; it is now a security concern. Security agencies are looking into that, and there are reports they will first send it to Mr. President, because it is a matter of national security.”
The NSIB, however, stressed that investigations into the occurrence were still in progress and that the preliminary report was intended to present the facts gathered so far without assigning responsibility or blame, as it only “provides information gathered during the early stages of the investigation,” while further findings could emerge as the investigation progresses.
Recall that following the incident, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) immediately ground the aircraft and suspend VMO Aero Limited’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF).
The aviation regulator also placed the flight crew under review after ascertaining that the aircraft departed the scene and returned to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory clearance.
VMO Aero later stated that its crew had discontinued what it described as an unstable initial approach before attempting another landing, maintaining that no injuries or property damage were recorded, pledging full cooperation with investigators.
