How private jet landed on wrong road in Asaba after mistaking it for runway – NSIB

A Bombardier Challenger 601-3A business jet with registration N989BC mistakenly landed on a paved roadway under construction instead of the runway at Asaba Airport on June 10, 2026, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has revealed.

In its preliminary report released Friday, NSIB said the incident involved seven people on board — four crew members and three passengers — and no injuries were recorded.

—What happened—

The aircraft, operated by VMO Aero Limited, was on an Instrument Flight Rules [IFR] flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to Asaba.

According to NSIB, the crew discontinued their initial approach before repositioning for a second approach to Runway 11.

During the approach, the flight crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation indications showed it as established on the published RNAV Runway 11approach.

But the jet instead touched down on a paved roadway near the airport that was under construction.

After landing, the aircraft was shut down and inspected. Passengers disembarked before the jet later departed from the roadway and returned to Lagos “without further reported operational abnormalities.”

A post-flight examination found damage to the left nose-wheel assembly.

—What NSIB found so far—

NSIB said its preliminary findings were based on crew and witness accounts, ATC records, post-occurrence aircraft examination, documents, and data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder [CVR] and Flight Data Recorder [FDR].

Both recorders have been retrieved and downloaded at the Bureau’s Transport Safety Laboratory in Abuja. Technical examinations and further analysis are ongoing.

—Keyamo: “They mistook a road for a runway”—

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had earlier addressed the incident on TVC’s Politics Tonight.

He said the tower cleared the aircraft to land but lost visual contact shortly after.

“When the tower called, they said they had landed. The tower asked, ‘Landed where?’ I can see the whole of the runway and aprons, but you are not there,” Keyamo said.

“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.”

Keyamo added that there was no mechanical failure, which was why the aircraft could take off again. He disclosed that the matter had been handed to the Department of State Services as a “matter of national security” and that a report would be sent to President Bola Tinubu.

—Why it matters—

The incident raises questions about airport infrastructure, approach aids, and pilot situational awareness at Asaba, especially with ongoing construction near the airfield.

NSIB said the final report will determine probable causes and issue safety recommendations to prevent a recurrence.