Military Air Crash: NAF Committee to audit aircraft’s safety

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has set up a committee to safety audit its operational and engineering units.

The committee announcement was made on Tuesday; three days after the crash of one of its aircraft in Kaduna that killed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 military officers and personnel.

The Kaduna aircraft crash, the third of such incident in the last three months involving NAF fleet, has raised concerns about the airworthiness of the aircraft the NAF has.

Three NAF aircraft have fatally crashed in Abuja, Borno and in Kaduna in the last three months, claiming the lives of 21 personnel of the air force and the army.

In a statement by the Airforce spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the committee, comprising serving and retired officers, would, among other terms of reference, analyse safety reports from operational and engineering units, evaluate NAF units and recommend measures to enhance safety of operations.

The committee is also to interact with unit operational and technical personnel for views, observations and contributions on safety measures.

The committee, chaired by the Deputy Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Air Vice Marshal Abraham Adole, is expected to submit its report latest June 18.

The statement reads: “The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has constituted a committee of serving and retired senior officers to conduct a safety audit of all Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operational and engineering units.

“The committee is to, among other terms of reference, analyse safety reports from operational and engineering units, conduct safety evaluation of NAF units and recommend measures to enhance safety of operations in the units.

“The committee is also to interact with unit operational and technical personnel for views, observations and contributions on safety measures. Chaired by Air Vice Marshal Abraham Adole, the Deputy Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, the committee is to submit its report not later than 18 June 2021.”