Tobias Sylvester
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has revealed the identities of two personnel killed in the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft that crashed on Wednesday in Kaduna state.
NAF Plane Crash
KanyiDaily had reported how the Super Mushak aircraft which had two pilots on board crashed while on a training mission inside a NAF facility in Kaduna.
In a statement on Thursday, the Director of Public Relation and Information, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet identified the two officers as Flight Lieutenant Abubakar Muhammed Alkali and Flight Lieutenant Elijah Haruna Karatu.
Gabkwet said the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has visited Kaduna to commiserate with families, friends, and colleagues of the pilots that lost their lives in the accident.
The chief of air staff said the cause of the crash will be “thoroughly” investigated. He assured the officers that all measures will be taken to forestall future crashes.
The statement reads, “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.”
Yesterday’s incident comes barely one year after a Nigerian military aircraft crashed at the Abuja airport, killing all seven personnel on board.
