Delta Road Landing: NCAA Reveals Pilot Was 75, Co-Pilot 70

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed that the pilot who flew the private aircraft that made an unusual landing on a roadway in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, is 75 years old, while the co-pilot is 70, stressing that neither pilot violated the age requirements governing their licences.

The aircraft, bearing the American registration number N989BC, has remained at the centre of public attention following its emergency landing near Asaba and subsequent unauthorised departure from the roadway.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s News Night programme, the NCAA Director of Operations, Licensing and Training, Capt. Don Spiff, said both pilots hold licences issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and were operating under applicable American aviation regulations.

According to him, the aircraft is registered in the United States and therefore falls under the operational framework applicable to FAA-certified pilots.

“The pilot is 75 years old and the co-pilot is 70 years old. The pilot is not over-aged in America. The aircraft is American-registered and both pilots hold American licences,” Spiff explained.

He clarified that while Nigerian regulations currently prescribe 65 years as the retirement age for commercial airline pilots, the rule does not automatically apply to foreign pilots operating under foreign licences and regulations.

“In Nigeria, once you are 65, you stop flying commercial operations. However, aviation regulations continue to evolve and there are ongoing reviews that could permit pilots above that age to fly private aircraft, provided they meet stringent medical requirements,” he said.

The NCAA official, however, faulted the pilot’s decision to take off from the roadway after the incident without obtaining regulatory clearance.

According to him, such an action constitutes a serious breach of aviation procedures and could attract sanctions.

“For him to have taken off, it was not allowed because he did not obtain any clearance for take-off. There will be penalties,” Spiff said.

He disclosed that the NCAA has already suspended the operator’s commercial certificate pending the outcome of investigations.

The regulator identified the aircraft operator as VMO Aero, a Nigerian aviation company, although ownership details would only become clear after investigators complete their work.

Providing insight into the sequence of events, Spiff said the aircraft had filed a flight plan from Lagos to Asaba and successfully reached its destination airspace.

He explained that the pilot attempted to land at Asaba Airport but later executed a go-around procedure before eventually landing on a newly constructed roadway in the Ogwashi-Uku area.

The exact circumstances that led to the unusual landing remain under investigation by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

“Only the pilot and his God know how the aircraft ended up on that road. The investigation will determine whether there were any other factors involved,” he said.

The NSIB has since recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Despite public concerns generated by the occurrence, Spiff maintained that Nigerian airspace remains safe.

“I must say that one isolated incident should not be used to question the safety of Nigerian airspace. Nigerian airspace remains very safe,” he said.

The investigation is expected to determine whether mechanical, operational, weather-related or human factors contributed to the incident.