The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao, Monday spoke up on the ill-fated Beechcraft King Air B350i which crashed Sunday in Abuja, leaving all seven personnel on board dead.
He said the aircraft, which was on its way to Minna, Niger state, was at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to refuel.
Following reported engine failure, the aircraft crashed barely ten minutes after take-off.
A statement by spokesman of the Nigeria Air Force(NAF), Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, quoted the CAS as speaking during a condolence visit to his office by the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen.
He said the deceased personnel were earlier in Minna for days conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions in connection with the efforts to secure the release of the 42 students and staff abducted from the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State.
Amao also said the aircraft carried out several Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions in virtually all the theatres, including the North-East, North-West as well as the North-Central.
Thanking the minister for the visit, Amao said: “It was a sad Sunday for the entire NAF family, which had lost a set of fine, well-trained, dedicated personnel, who in the course of conducting Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions, had operated in virtually all theatres, including the North-East, North-West as well as the North-Central.
“The deceased personnel, who had been in Minna for days conducting ISR missions in connection with the concerted efforts to secure the release of the students and staff abducted from the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State, had only stopped at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to refuel before embarking on the fateful return flight to Minna, when the unfortunate incident occurred.”
Describing the incident as one of the hazards of the military profession, Amao regretted that the NAF would find it difficult to replace the personnel based on their training and experience acquired over the years.
