Some officers of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF were feared to have been killed in a plane crash that occurred on Tuesday, April 19, in Kaduna State, the northern part of the country.
Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the trainer aircraft, an MFI-395 Super Mushshaks, had two pilots on board.
The development is coming 11 months after a NAF aircraft crashed in Kaduna, the same state of the country.
The incident, which occurred in May 2021, involved a Beechcraft 350, and the aircraft crashed around the Kaduna international airport.
Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff of the country, and 10 other military officers who were on board were killed.
Late Attahiru was said to be on his way to Kaduna to attend a passing-out parade for Army recruits.
Following the incident, members of the minority caucus in the house of representatives had asked the Nigerian government to ensure that a “system-wide investigation” is conducted into such incidents involving military aircraft in the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reacted to the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crash that occurred Tuesday at its Base in Kaduna State.
In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, the Nigerian Air Force expressed sadness over the tragic accident which led to the death of two pilots.
Gabwet said the Chief of Air Staff of the country, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has constituted an Accident Investigation Board to thoroughly investigate the immediate and remote causes of the crash, Newsflash Nigeria reports.
The NAF spokesman named the pilots who died in the crash as Flight Lieutenant Abubakar Muhammed Alkali and Flight Lieutenant Elijah Haruna Karatu.
He added that Amao commiserated with families, friends, and colleagues of the two pilots, asking God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
The statement said the CAS assured the officers, airmen and airwomen of 401 Flying Training School that all measures will be emplaced to avert similar occurrences in the future.
The statement reads in part: “Air Marshal Amao had constituted an Accident Investigation Board upon receiving the sad news of the crash yesterday, to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash. While at Kaduna earlier today, he assured the officers, airmen and airwomen of 401 Flying Training School that all measures will be emplaced to avert a similar occurrence in the future.
“He also reminded them of the need to remain steadfast and focused on their assigned roles and responsibilities in view of the onerous task before the NAF and other security agencies to rid the Northwest and indeed the entire Nation of all criminal elements.
“The unfortunate incident of yesterday’s trainer aircraft crash is yet again a tragic reminder of the perilous nature of the military flying profession as well as the risks NAF pilots continually take, daily, to secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity.”
