A Nigerian Air Force FT-7NI trainer aircraft has reportedly crashed in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to a Channels Television report, the incident happened on Friday while it was on a routine training exercise.
Channels also reported that the incident has been confirmed by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.
He said two pilots onboard the aircraft survived and were being observed in a military facility.
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“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 said.
The spokesperson for the service, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday.
He said the crash occurred during training, adding that the pilots are ”under observation” at the NAF Base hospital.
Gabkwet, however, said the Chief of Air Staff had instituted a board to investigate the crash cause.
The statement read, “A Nigerian Air Force FT-7NI trainer aircraft crashed today, 14 July 2023 at about 4.15 pm in Makurdi, Benue State, while on a routine training exercise. Luckily, the 2 pilots on board survived the crash after successfully ejecting from the aircraft. Additionally, there were no deaths or damages in the impact area.
“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.”
The PUNCH reports that in February 2023, the Air Force jet lost its tyre mid-air and made an emergency landing at Lagos Airport on its belly with no casualty recorded.
Also, in April 2022, a trainer aircraft crashed in Kaduna, killing two pilots on board.
