THE Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) reported conflicting accounts from the three pilots of the Bombardier Challenger 601-3A regarding its final approach and the events that led to its mistaken landing on a road under construction near Asaba Airport.
The NSIB’s preliminary report, released on Friday, contains a disclosure regarding the June 10, 2026, incident involving an aircraft operated by VMO Aero.
According to the report, the Pilot in Command (PIC) and Second in Command (SIC) confirmed that the aircraft was properly aligned with the RNAV Runway 11 approach, and the observer pilot recognized the paved surface ahead as the runway.
The observer pilot reported that the aircraft stayed within clouds until late in the approach and advised the captain to abort the approach due to repeated GPWS “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.
According to the preliminary report, the conflicting accounts centred on the aircraft’s second and final approach to Asaba Airport. The Pilot in Command (PIC) and the Second-in-Command (SIC) reported that after losing visual reference to the runway due to clouds, the aircraft executed a missed approach and then repositioned for another RNAV Runway 11 approach.
The PIC and SIC reported that the Observer Pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway while the Observer Pilot provided a different account of the Second Approach compared to the flight crew’s report.
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 reported that the aircraft remained in cloud cover until late in the approach, with repeated GPWS warnings sounding. He instructed the Pilot in Command (PIC) to climb after seeing a telecommunications mast. The Bureau is investigating the observer pilot’s operational status and authority during the flight.
Other findings revealed that there were disagreements among the crew prior to departure from Lagos, particularly regarding the aircraft’s Flight Management System (FMS) programming and the intended cruising level.
The observer pilot said he expressed concerns regarding the FMS but was told by the PIC not to interfere due to his lack of rating on the Challenger aircraft type. Both the PIC and SIC admitted that FMS discrepancies were present but claimed they were resolved prior to take-off.
The observer pilot also disputed the planned cruising level, which the cabin crew reported to management before departure. Investigators noted that the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) had joined the operator just 10 days prior to the incident and was on his first flight into Asaba Airport.
The report revealed that the aircraft departed from the construction road and returned to Lagos, where damage to the left nose-wheel assembly was found. It highlighted conflicting accounts regarding the emergency response and noted that the Asaba Tower voice recording system was inoperative during the incident. The Bureau emphasized that this is a preliminary report and does not establish the incident’s cause.
The NSIB provided three immediate safety recommendations to enhance accident management, emergency response, and air traffic communications.
It urged the NCAA, NAMA, and FAAN to create unified national procedures for handling aircraft accidents and serious incidents, called for FAAN to enhance aerodrome emergency response procedures, and recommended that NAMA enhance the reliability of air traffic services voice recording systems.