AIB submits report on plane crash that killed ex-army chief, 10 other military officers

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) on Wednesday submitted the interim report on the plane crash that killed the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru; and 10 other senior military officers to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

The military officers were killed when the NAF Beechcraft 350 jet crashed near the Kaduna International Airport on May 31.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Edward Gabkwet; and the AIB spokesman, Tunji Oketunbi; disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

According to the statement, the AIB Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru; submitted the report to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amao; at the NAF headquarters in Abuja.

The agency also listed 27 initial findings and eight safety recommendations on the incident for immediate implementation.

The statement read: “Following the unfortunate incident involving a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) King Air -350 aircraft at the vicinity of Kaduna Civil Airport on May 31, 2021, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, directed that a joint investigative body consisting of experienced NAF safety officers and the Accident Investigative Bureau (AIB) be constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the air crash.

“After about three months of painstaking joint investigation, the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of AIB, Engr Akin Olateru, today 15 September 2021 submitted an interim report on the sad incident to the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Amao, at his office at NAF Headquarters, Abuja.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army buries COAS, Attahiru, six other victims of plane crash in Abuja

“The submitted report is organized into three sections namely; the information obtained in the course of the investigation; analysis of data collected in view of the Board’s Terms of Reference; and the conclusion, which covers the initial findings and immediate recommendations.

“It should be noted that at this interim stage, a total of 27 initial findings and eight immediate safety recommendations were made for the convening authority as well as other aviation-related agencies for immediate implementation. It is expected that the final report will contain the flight data recorder readout, the reviewed operator’s and service provider’s standard operating procedures as well as other detailed analyses.

“While receiving the report, the CAS reiterated the main essence of activating the ‘joint investigative’ clause contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the NAF and the AIB on July 1, 2020.

“ According to him, the successful collaboration is a clear indication of the potency of collaboration in aircraft accident investigation, which must be encouraged.

“Air Marshal Amao also noted that such collaborative efforts make accident investigations more transparent and open while also stating that the outcome of the the investigation is not necessarily aimed at punitive measures but essentially at generally improving safety in the aviation industry.”

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