Air Force to investigate crash that killed two pilots
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, Wednesday said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) would thoroughly investigate the cause of the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crash that occurred on Tuesday, April19, 2022 at NAF Base, Kaduna.
Amao said this when he visited Kaduna earlier today to commiserate with families, friends, and colleagues of the two pilots, Flight Lieutenant Abubakar Muhammed Alkali and Flight Lieutenant Elijah Haruna Karatu, who lost their lives in the tragic accident.
According to Air force spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, “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 similar occurrence in the future.
“He also reminded them on 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 agency 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.”
An air force training aircraft, Super Mushshak, crashed while on a training mission, killing the two pilots.
One of the two pilots – Alkali – was gathered was buried on Tuesday evening at the NAF base central mosque, Kaduna, according to Islamic rites.
“Akali is a fine officer, always in the service of his fatherland; a great son to us; we were devastated,” his uncle Suleiman Dauda told NAN.
“But we take consolation in the fact that God giveth, God taketh, and fortunately, we belong to a family that lay emphasis on fear of God.
“The kind of life he lived is very encouraging, and we have accepted it (incident) as being ordained by God,” said Dauda
The latest incident in Kaduna makes it five air crashes involving Nigerian military planes in the last one year.
An air force Alphajet had crashed in Zamfara State last year after an intense fire from bandits. Although the pilot survived by ejecting from the aircraft.
A NAF203 plane crashed and killed the then Chief of Army Staff and 10 others. A Beechcraft King350 airplane -NAF201 had crashed in February 20021, killing all eight officers onboard.
In April 2021 a Nigerian Air force fighter jet was declared missing and suspected to have crashed. While Boko Haram claimed to have shot it down, the military denied the claim.
Air Force spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, later said the crash occurred as the Alpha jet, a light attack aircraft, was returning to base from a mission on the Zamfara-Kaduna border.
