NAF taps AIB-N to lead investigation into military air crash

Chinazor Megbolu

The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N) has been contracted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to lead the investigation into the military aircraft that crashed on Friday in Kaduna.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, AIB-N, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, in a statement at weekend, said the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the accident Beechcraft 350 aircraft had been recovered from the crash site as investigation is said to have kicked off.

He noted in the statement that investigators would download and analyse vital information contained in the recorders at its world-class Flight Safety Laboratory, in Abuja.

The crash, which occurred on landing, claimed the lives of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others.

”The mandate given to AIB-N is based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two agencies on July 1, 2020 covering areas of mutual assistance.

The accident had occurred on landing at Kaduna Airport at 6pm on Friday with all the occupants of the crash perishing due to the impact of the accident,” the statement said.