The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria, on Saturday, said it has recovered the black box of a Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft 350 jet which crashed on Friday near the Kaduna International Airport.
AIB said its investigators will download and analyse vital information contained in the recorders to ascertain the cause of the crash that claimed the lives of 11 military personnel including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ibrahim Attahiru.
This was contained in a statement titled, AIB-N To Conduct Kaduna Crash Investigation’ signed by AIB-N General Manager, Public Affairs, Tunji Oketunbi.
Usually, the AIB-N, according to its mandate, only probes civil aviation accidents and incidents in Nigeria and not military accidents and incidents. But Oketunbi said the Nigerian Air Force mandated AIB-N to lead the investigation into the crash.
“The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) from the accidented aircraft have been recovered and investigation has commenced.
“Investigators will download and analyse vital information contained in the recorders at the AIB-N’s world class Flight Safety Laboratory, in Abuja.
“The mandate given to AIB-N is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two agencies on July 1, 2020 covering areas of mutual assistance,” the statement partly read.
The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB -N) had been mandated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to lead the Investigation into the crash of a military aircraft that occurred on Friday in Kaduna, in which the Chief of Army Staff died.
Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika wrote Saturday, “The Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (Black Box) are both found and in the custody of our Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB). These recorders are critical to the investigation and will make things easier and faster”..
“With heavy heart we in Civil Aviation commiserate with the Nation & the C-in-C on the NAF air crash. Investigation has commenced today in accordance with our recent MOU with the military. We pray Allah grant mercy to their souls & may the outcome prevent future occurrence” – his statement added.
