Pilots survive as NAF Aircraft crashes in Makurdi
By Emma Ogbuehi
A Nigerian Air Force plane – FT-7NI trainer aircraft – has crashed in Makurdi, the capital of Benue state.
According to reports, the incident happened on Friday evening, while on a routine training exercise. No explanations have been offered on the likely cause of the accident.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, has reportedly confirmed the incident.
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According to Gabkwet, two pilots onboard the aircraft survived, adding that they were being attended to in a military facility.
He said, “Luckily, the two pilots on board survived the crash after successfully ejecting from the aircraft. Additionally, there was no loss of lives or damage to any property around the area of impact.
“Both pilots are currently under observation at NAF Base Hospital, Makurdi. Meanwhile, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has constituted a Board of Inquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash,” he added.
A report by The Punch earlier in May, indicated that between 2015 and 2023, Nigeria under the former President, Muhammadu Buhari recorded a total of 14 military air crashes.
The crashes during the period killed no fewer than 33 military personnel, while the whereabouts of two personnel were unknown.
The cause of the incidents were not made public, despite assurances by Nigerian Air Force.
However, experts blamed the mishap largely on poor maintenance of the aircraft.
Also, despite the addition of the Super Tucano jet, the crashes entailed financial cost to the military as well as reducing the number of aircraft in their fleet.
The Report added that in February 2023, the Air Force was fortunate not to have recorded a crash after one of their jets lost its tyre mid-air and made an emergency landing at Lagos Airport on its belly.
However, between February 22, 2021 and April 19, 2022, no fewer than 20 military personnel lost their lives in the ill-fated crashes.
On February 22, 2021, seven NAF personnel on their way from Abuja to Minna, Niger State to rescue the abducted students and workers of Government Science College, Kagara, died when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
The most prominent of the crashes happened on May 21, 2021. A military Beachcraft 350 aircraft crashed at the Kaduna International Airport, killing the 11 people onboard, including the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru.
Another Alpha Jet Aircraft crashed in Zamfara after it was shot down by bandit on July 18, 2021. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, escaped from the crashed aircraft.
In April 2022, a trainer aircraft crashed in Kaduna, killing two pilots on board.
Other crashes were the August 29, 2015, Air Force plane crash in Kaduna which killed seven persons out of which four were military personnel.
In another incident on October 10, 2015, an F-7Nl jet crashed and claimed one life. Also, an Augusta Westland 101 helicopter crashed in Makurdi, Benue State on November 15, 2016