Pilot at 75? NCAA explains why age wasn’t the issue in Delta road landing drama.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed that the pilot who flew the private aircraft with registration number N989BC, which landed on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State, is 75 years old, while the co-pilot is 70.

Director of Operations, Licensing and Training, Capt. Don Spiff, said both pilots hold American licences and operate under United States aviation regulations. He explained that neither pilot is considered overaged under the applicable rules, noting that the aircraft is American-registered.
Speaking on News Night, an Arise TV programme, Spiff stated that while Nigeria’s current age limit for commercial pilots is 65, the country’s aviation regulations are undergoing review.
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 (NSIB), which is mandated to investigate serious incidents and accidents, is already on it.
“If they determine that it is not a serious incident, then they will hand it over to the NCAA. The pilots that flew that aeroplane have American licences. The pilot is 75. The co-pilot is 70. The pilot is not over-aged in America. The standards in Nigeria are slightly different from America.
“This aeroplane is an American-registered aeroplane with November registration. The pilots that flew it hold American licences. They operate in America and are operating under what they call Section 14 regulations. This aircraft was also operated under Section 14.”
Explaining Nigeria’s position on pilot age limits, he said, “In Nigeria, it is 65. Once you are 65, you stop flying commercial aircraft. But we are also reviewing our regulations. Aviation is a very dynamic field; it is not static. There are improvements and modifications every day.
“It is already in the Civil Aviation Act, though yet to be implemented, that after 65, a Nigerian pilot can still fly privately, not commercially, as long as he passes his first-class medical check-up.
“But these guys are not flying with Nigerian licences. The owners of this aircraft will eventually be revealed when the investigation gets there. The operator of the aircraft could be different from the owner.
“The operator is VMO Aero, a Nigerian company. However, the aircraft is American-registered, and because of that, the pilots hold American FAA licences and operate under Parts 91 and 135 of the FAA regulations.”
Spiff stressed that no regulation was breached regarding the pilots’ ages.
“It is not a breach. This aeroplane had a flight plan filed from Lagos to Asaba. That was its destination. The pilot made an approach in Asaba but could not land and had to perform a go-around.
“How he ended up landing on a strip or a newly constructed road, only the pilot and his God could determine. During the investigation, it will become clear whether there was any ulterior motive.”
He, however, criticised the pilot’s decision to take off from the road after the incident, describing the action as unauthorised.
“For him to have taken off, it was not allowed because he did not obtain any clearance for takeoff. He carried out a kamikaze action. There will be penalties. So far, the NCAA has suspended their commercial certificate, which is called a PNCF.”
On concerns about aviation safety in the country, Spiff maintained that the incident should not cast doubt on Nigeria’s airspace.
“I must say at this point that one incident occurring after so many months and years should not question the safety of Nigerian airspace. Nigerian airspace is very safe. This was an isolated incident,” he said.
(Source: Vanguard)