FG moves to tighten surveillance on private Airstrips, airports

More facts have emerged over the controversial private jet incident involving a Bombardier Challenger CL-601 business jet that landed on an uncompleted road in Ogwashi-Uku, near Asaba, Delta State, last week.

Checks on the website of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that the aircraft is owned by Best Aircraft Deals LLC, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and operated in Nigeria by VMO Aero Limited.

The aircraft, manufactured in 1988 by Canadair Ltd, bears serial number 5021 and currently carries registration number N989BC.

A source close to the aircraft operator disclosed to The Guardian that both the captain and co-pilot aboard the aircraft at the time of the incident were Americans.

The unusual landing has since triggered multiple investigations by aviation regulators, security agencies and accident investigators following reports that the aircraft landed on a roadway and later departed the location without regulatory clearance.

Speaking on the development, aviation security consultant, Olufemi Adeniji, called for a comprehensive security investigation involving all individuals connected to the flight.

In an interview with The Guardian over the weekend, Adeniji urged the Federal Government to intensify monitoring of private airports and airstrips across the country, particularly amid the current security challenges facing Nigeria.

He said the unauthorised departure of the aircraft from the roadway raises serious concerns regarding operational approvals and possible violations of aviation protocols.

Adeniji questioned how a fixed-wing aircraft could land on a public roadway, disembark passengers and subsequently take off again without immediate intervention from security agencies.

According to him, the incident could have resulted in catastrophic consequences if the aircraft had crashed during landing or takeoff.

“All those private airstrips and airports should be properly monitored. There should be security personnel stationed there. Given the current security situation in Nigeria, issues like this should be treated very seriously,” he said.

“How can an aircraft land on a road and later take off from the same road? Who authorised the takeoff? Who did they communicate with? Nigeria is a sovereign nation, not a jungle.”

While noting that investigations were still ongoing, Adeniji insisted that the matter should not be treated as a routine aviation occurrence.

“This should not be taken lightly by the Nigerian government. In the United States, such an aircraft would likely be impounded pending investigations. Friendship or politics should not interfere with the investigation,” he added.
The consultant also raised concerns over the identity of the passengers and the nature of items transported on the flight.

“They need to investigate the passengers thoroughly. What were they carrying? What were they trying to conceal? The Department of State Services (DSS) should question both the passengers and the crew. Was it ammunition, money or something else? This incident has serious security implications,” he said.

Adeniji further stressed that investigators must identify everyone present at the scene and determine who coordinated activities surrounding the aircraft before and after the landing.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has ordered a full investigation into the incident, while the flight crew has reportedly been taken into custody for questioning.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had earlier raised concerns after the aircraft departed the roadway and flew to Lagos without notifying air traffic controllers.

According to the NCAA, air traffic control authorities were only informed after the aircraft was already airborne.

Upon arrival in Lagos, the NCAA grounded the aircraft and suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF), while placing the crew under regulatory review.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has also intensified efforts to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the incident.

The bureau confirmed that investigators have recovered both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) from the aircraft.

NSIB Director-General, Alex Badeh Jr., said investigators had commenced the collection of operational, maintenance and air traffic control records relating to the flight.

According to him, information retrieved from the recorders would help investigators establish the facts surrounding the occurrence and determine whether established safety procedures were followed. (Guardian)