Private Jet Landed on Asaba Construction Road After Aborted Approach, Nigerian Investigators Report

A Bombardier Challenger 601-3A private jet mistakenly landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport in Delta State, Nigeria, on June 10, 2026. The aircraft, operating under Instrument Flight Rules from Lagos, had aborted its initial approach to Runway 11 before repositioning for a second attempt.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) released a preliminary report detailing the incident. According to the report, the flight crew stated that their navigation systems indicated they were established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach. However, the aircraft ultimately landed on a paved roadway being constructed in the vicinity of the airport, rather than the intended runway.

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The tower in Asaba cleared them to land. After about two minutes, the tower called and said, ‘Where is your location? I can’t see you again. I can’t see you on the tarmac.’

There were seven people on board: four crew members and three passengers. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Following the landing, the aircraft was shut down, inspected, and the passengers disembarked. It subsequently departed from the roadway and returned to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos without further incident. A post-flight examination revealed damage to the left nose-wheel assembly.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, clarified that the jet did not experience mechanical failure. He explained that the pilots had been cleared to land at Asaba Airport but lost visual contact with the control tower shortly after. The tower later discovered the aircraft had landed on the nearby construction road, where it had dropped off its passengers. The NSIB is continuing its technical examinations and analysis of data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder.

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There were seven occupants on board, comprising four crew members and three passengers, and no injuries were recorded.