NSIB report reveals conflicting pilot accounts in Asaba road landing
By Aboki Forex —
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has revealed conflicting accounts from the three pilots aboard the Bombardier Challenger 601-3A that mistakenly landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport. The disclosure is contained in the NSIB’s preliminary report into the June 10, 2026, occurrence involving the VMO Aero-operated aircraft, released on Friday.
Pilot accounts differ sharply
According to the report, the Pilot in Command (PIC) and Second in Command (SIC) said the aircraft remained correctly established on the RNAV Runway 11 approach. They reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway. The observer pilot, however, told investigators that the aircraft remained in cloud until late in the approach and instructed the captain to discontinue the approach after repeated GPWS “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.
The conflicting accounts centred on the aircraft’s second and final approach into Asaba Airport. The PIC and SIC said that after carrying out a missed approach because visual reference to the runway was lost in cloud, the aircraft repositioned for another RNAV Runway 11 approach. The flight crew maintained that the aircraft remained correctly established on the published approach path and landed on what they believed was a runway extension before stopping near construction equipment.
The observer pilot provided a different account. He said the aircraft remained in cloud until late in the approach, that repeated GPWS warnings sounded, and that he instructed the PIC to climb immediately after spotting a telecommunications mast. The Bureau said the observer pilot’s operational status and authority during the flight remain under investigation.
Pre-departure disagreements
The report also revealed disagreements among the crew before departure from Lagos, including over the aircraft’s Flight Management System (FMS) programming and the planned cruising level. The observer pilot said he raised concerns about the FMS but was told by the PIC not to interfere because he was not rated on the Challenger aircraft type. The PIC and SIC acknowledged that FMS discrepancies occurred but said they were corrected before take-off. The observer pilot also disputed the planned cruising level, a disagreement the cabin crew reported to company management before departure.
Investigators found that the PIC had joined the operator about 10 days before the occurrence and that it was his first flight into Asaba Airport. The report also disclosed that the aircraft later departed from the construction road and returned to Lagos, where damage to the left nose-wheel assembly was identified. It further noted conflicting accounts over the emergency response and found that the Asaba Tower voice recording system was unserviceable during the occurrence. The Bureau stressed that the report is preliminary and does not determine the cause of the incident.
Safety recommendations issued
The NSIB issued three immediate safety recommendations aimed at strengthening accident management, emergency response and air traffic communications. It called on the NCAA, NAMA and FAAN to establish harmonised national procedures for managing aircraft involved in accidents and serious incidents. It urged FAAN to strengthen aerodrome emergency response procedures. It also recommended that NAMA improve the reliability and redundancy of air traffic services voice recording systems. The Bureau said the recommendations address safety gaps identified during the preliminary investigation while the full inquiry continues.
After the aircraft returned to Lagos, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounded it, stating that it had flown back from the occurrence site without obtaining the required regulatory approval. The regulator said the action followed its preliminary findings into the incident and formed part of ongoing investigations into possible compliance breaches surrounding the flight operation.
For Nigerian aviation and travellers, the conflicting pilot accounts and the unserviceable voice recorder at Asaba Tower raise serious questions about cockpit discipline, crew coordination, and air traffic infrastructure. The NSIB’s full inquiry will determine whether systemic failures or individual errors led to the wrong-road landing, and whether regulatory gaps allowed the aircraft to fly back without clearance.