Pilot dies as NAF aircraft on rehearsal for Oct 1 celebration crashes

Tragedy struck air display rehearsal for October 1, Nigeria’s 58th Independent Day celebration on Friday as two of the aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force taking part in the rehearsal crashed around the general area of Katamkpe Hill near Abuja.

But the development led to the death of one of the pilots.

Though, eye witnesses said an Air force officer was killed in the sad incident, the director of public Daram and information, Nigerian Air Force , Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola denied the account in a terse statement stating that “no life was lost in the incident.”

He, however, later reversed himself, saying that “the air mishap necessitated the three pilots to eject from their aircraft, which subsequently crashed in the general area of Katamkpe Hill”.

“Regrettably, however, one of them later died due to complications from injuries sustained upon impact on the ground. Thankfully, there were no civilian casualties.”

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf of officers, airmen and airwomen of the NAF, commiserates with the family of the deceased officer.

The CAS has also instituted an air crash investigation to determine the remote and immediate causes of the incident. He said that “two Air Force officers on Friday escape unhurt as aircraft used to rehearse for Nigeria’s 58th Independent Day celebration crashed in Abuja.”