A small plane being piloted by a Nigerian state governor and carrying five passengers crashed on Thursday in the country's north, leaving him in critical condition, an aviation official said. The Cessna 208 piloted by Taraba state Governor, Danbaba Suntai crashed in the area of the city of Yola in neighbouring Adamawa state, said Harold Demuren, head of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. "We confirmed that there was an accident involving him in a private aircaft," Demuren told AFP. "He didn't make the airport and it crashed. He's in critical condition at hospital." He confirmed local media reports that Suntai had been piloting the plane and said he had a pilot's license. The cause of the crash and the fate of the other passengers were not immediately clear. Some local media reported that the crash occurred near a state oil company depot. Nigeria has had a list of deadly plane crashes. In June, a flight from domestic company Dana Air crashed in the economic capital Lagos when both its engines failed, killing at least 159 people.