Emmanuel Ochayi
A Nigerian Air Force helicopters on Monday, crashed during a rescue mission in Niger, further adding to series of military aircraft accidents in the last five years.
The MI-171 Soviet-built helicopter lost control and went down near Chukuba village around 1:00 p.m., according to a statement by spokesperson Edward Gabkwet, an air commodore.
The helicopter was en route from a primary school in Zungeru to Kaduna when it lost control in the village, located in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
It partly read, “A Nigerian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed today, August 14, 2023, at about 1.1.00 pm Chukuba Village in Niger State.”
Only early this month, precisely on August 1, 2023 a civilian aircraft, a Jabiru J430, a light single airplane with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-CCQ operated by Air First Hospitality & Tours, was reported to have crashed in Ikeja, Lagos state.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in the crash on Monday. The military promptly launched a search and rescue operation for all passengers, while an initial investigation into the incident will commence shortly.
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“The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.”
Gabkwet said efforts are ongoing to rescue the pilots and passengers on board.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to rescue the crew and passengers on board the helicopter, while preliminary investigations have commenced to determine the probable cause of the crash,” the statement added.
History Of Military Aircraft Accidents In Nigeria
This occurrence is part of a series of accidents involving Nigerian air assets. Over the past five years, there have been multiple incidents, including crashes and emergency landings. Here’s a summary of some of the notable crashes:
02-Jan-19: MI-35M helicopter gunship crashed in combat.
12-Jun-19: Helicopter crash-landed.
17-Aug-19: RV-6A Air beetle had a minor incident.
14-Nov-19: Agusta Westland 109 crash-landed with six reported casualties.
21-Feb-21: Beechcraft KingAir 350i experienced engine failure, resulting in eight fatalities.
31-Mar-21: Alfa jet NAF 475 lost radar during combat, leading to 14 fatalities.
21-May-21: King Air 350 crashed due to bad weather, resulting in eight fatalities.
18-Jul-21: Alfa jet was involved in the Zamfara attack, with 14 fatalities.
19-Apr-22: A Super Mushshak trainer was involved in an incident.
The recent helicopter crash adds to the growing list of challenges faced by the Nigerian Air Force regarding its aircraft’s safety and operational integrity.
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