The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that the pilot involved in the recent aircraft incident in Delta State was operating legally despite being 75 years old.
The private aircraft, registered as N989BC, landed on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area after an unsuccessful attempt to land at Asaba Airport. NCAA Director of Operations, Licensing and Training, Capt. Don Spiff, explained that both the pilot and co-pilot, aged 75 and 70 respectively, hold valid American licences and fly under U.S. aviation regulations.
During an appearance on Arise TV’s News Night, Spiff noted that while commercial pilots in Nigeria retire at 65, the American rules governing the crew differ. He added that Nigeria is also reviewing its aviation regulations regarding age limits for private pilots.
He said, “Before I say anything, I must remind you that investigations have already started on this incident. So, I must not kind of preempt anything. However, I can tell you for sure that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Board, or NSIB, which is mandated to carry out investigations on serious incidents and accidents, is already on it.”
Spiff stressed that the pilots were flying an American-registered aircraft under U.S. Federal Aviation Administration rules, meaning their ages did not violate the regulations applicable to their operation.
Speaking on Nigeria’s age restrictions for pilots, he said, “In Nigeria, it is 65. Once you are 65, you stop flying commercial. But we are also reviewing our regulations. Aviation is a very dynamic field; it is not static. It is not stationary. It is an improvement, a modification every day. Nigeria itself is looking into it. It is in the Civil Aviation Act. It is yet to be implemented that after 65, a Nigerian pilot can actually fly privately, not commercially, as long as he passes his first-class medical check-up.”
The NCAA official revealed that the aircraft was operated by VMO Aero, although the investigation would determine further details about its ownership and operations.
He explained that the aircraft had filed a flight plan from Lagos to Asaba and attempted to land there before carrying out a go-around. According to him, investigators will determine how the aircraft eventually landed on a newly constructed road.
He said, “It is not a breach. This aeroplane had a flight plan filed from Lagos to Asaba. That was his destination. He did go to Asaba and made an approach in Asaba. He could not land. He did a go-around. How he ended up landing on a strip or a road, a newly constructed road, only the pilot and his God could determine. During the investigation, it would come out if there was any ulterior motive to it.”
However, Spiff criticised the pilot’s decision to take off from the road without obtaining the necessary approval, describing the action as a serious violation that could attract sanctions.
He said, “For him to have taken off, it was not allowed because he did not obtain any clearance for takeoff. He did a kamikazoo action. There will be penalties. So far, the NCAA has suspended their commercial certificate, which is called a PNCF.”
He also maintained that the incident should not raise doubts about aviation safety in the country, insisting that Nigerian airspace remains secure and that the occurrence was an isolated case.
