It was learned that a fighter plane from the Nigerian Air Force crashed on Friday in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
The incident’s specifics are still hazy as of the time of this report’s filing.
Two onboard members of the Nigerian Air Force ejected safely, according to a military source.
The source said, “An FT7-NI aircraft crashed today in Makurdi. The cause of the crash could not be immediately ascertained. It had two Airmen onboard. They ejected unhurt from the jet.”
In a statement released on Friday, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the service’s spokesperson, acknowledged the occurrence.
He added that the pilots are “under observation” at the NAF Base hospital and that the crash happened while they were in training.
However, Gabkwet, 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.”
