How to open UITableViewController modally and pass NSMutableArray

I have a ViewController where I enter a key through a textBox. The entered key pulls out all available records from a database whether the same key is found. The list of the records forms NSMUtableArray that I pass to TableViewController, where the user can pick one. Then on the initial ViewController, this value should be selected.

Two issues:

1. Is there a way to open the TableViewController as modal and programmatically (not with the StoryBoard)? I have some "if" statements there that should control whether the TableViewController opens.

2. I cannot pass the array from the ViewController to TableViewController. Since I have no answer for question 1, I am doing it using another button (test). NSLog in UITableViewController tells me that the array there is null.

UIViewController:

// Add a Navigation Point
-(IBAction) addIcaoNavigation:(id)sender {

    // Setting up the path to the navigation points database
    pathNav = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"navdata_nav"
                                              ofType:@"txt"];

    // Text entered in the textfield is assigned as the Navigation Point
    navigationPoint = txtNavIcao.text;

    // If the Departure airport is not determined, this will give an error. Determine     Departure first.
    if ([txtDepIcao.text isEqual:@""] || portDeparture == nil) {
        // Pop-up message that the airport was not found
        UIAlertView* portNotFoundMsg;
        portNotFoundMsg = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"No Departure airport"
                                                     message:@"Select the Departure airport first"
                                                    delegate:self
                                           cancelButtonTitle:@"OK"
                                           otherButtonTitles:nil, nil];
        [portNotFoundMsg show];
    }

    else {

        // Create an object for the Navigation Points
        IGDNavigation* navObj = [[IGDNavigation alloc] initWithName: navigationPoint navdataPath: pathNav];

        // Creating a list of all points with the same code sorted by the distance from departure
        navigationList = [navObj navDataWithPreviousLatitude:depLatitude PreviousLongitude:depLongitude];

        NSLog(@"NAVIGATION LIST: %@", navigationList); // This works, array created


        // Pass navigation list !!!
        IGANavListTableViewController *listObj = [[IGANavListTableViewController alloc]init];
        [listObj obtainNavList:navigationList];

        // Open the UITableViewController
        // THIS IS WHERE YOUR HELP OF Q1 IS NEEDED.

UITableViewController:

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];

    // Pass the list of Navigation Points
    IGAViewController *mainObj = [[IGAViewController alloc] init];

    NSLog(@"VIEW DID LOAD: %@", listOfNavPoints); // listOfNavPoints is nul.

    // The following would work though
    /*
     listOfNavPoints = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithObjects:
     @"AAAA",
     @"BBBB",
     @"CCCCC",
     nil];
     */
}

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";

    //UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier forIndexPath:indexPath];

    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];


    // Configure the cell...
    if (cell==nil)  {
        cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        if([[UIDevice currentDevice] userInterfaceIdiom] == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad) {
            cell.accessoryType = UITableViewCellAccessoryDisclosureIndicator;
        }
    }

    cell.textLabel.text = [listOfNavPoints objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

    return cell;
}


// Created this method just in case, although it should be enough to have a setter. Either do not work.
-(void) obtainNavList: (NSMutableArray *) navList {
    listOfNavPoints = navList;
}

UPDATE:

Changed the code, but it is still not working. Why???!!!

 - (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];

// Pass the list of Navigation Points
IGAViewController *mainObj = [[IGAViewController alloc] init];

listOfNavPoints = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
listOfNavPoints = mainObj.navigationList;

NSLog(@"VIEW DID LOAD: %@", listOfNavPoints);
}


 NAVIGATION LIST: (
     "NDB|GIG|GERING|41.944356|-103.683|341 Khz|639 nm",
     "NDB|GIG|GINGIN|-31.459722|115.865556|372 Khz|8275 nm"
 )

 VIEW DID LOAD null.