American pilot banned from Nigerian airspace after landing on a road instead of Asaba Airport

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has banned the American pilot involved in the Asaba Airport incident from flying in Nigerian airspace. The pilot landed on a road instead of an airport, and Nigeria’s aviation regulator has now taken action.

The first officer on that flight has also been suspended while investigations continue.

Here is what happened. On June 10, 2026, a Bombardier Challenger 601-3A aircraft operated by VMO Aero Limited, registered in the United States as N989BC, landed on an uncompleted roadway in Asaba instead of the actual airport. The aircraft has been grounded since then, with its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight also suspended.

NCAA Director-General Chris Najomo, who spoke at the ongoing Airport Business Summit in Lagos, was blunt about the situation. “Me as a pilot for 45 years, I will not see a road and land on the road,” he said. That one line says everything about how seriously the authority is taking this.

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The investigation started with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, which handles safety-focused probes of aviation incidents. But the case has since moved to the NCAA, which handles the regulatory and enforcement side. The Department of State Services has also joined the investigation, and when DSS gets involved, you know the authorities are treating this as more than a simple mistake.

What the NCAA investigations are looking at for the pilot

Najomo confirmed that the NCAA is not just looking at whether it was a navigation error. He said investigators would also look at “other motives”, which is a careful way of saying they want to rule out anything beyond an honest mistake before closing the case.

For now, the pilot cannot fly in Nigeria, the first officer is suspended, and the aircraft is going nowhere. Everything stays that way until the investigation concludes and the NCAA decides on its next steps.

The NCAA also used the summit to address other concerns in the aviation sector, including monopoly and anti-competitive practices. Najomo said the authority is committed to protecting passengers, keeping charges fair, and making sure no single operator has an unfair grip on the market.

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