Air Chief Commiserates with Families of Officers Killed in Kaduna Plane Crash

* Says crash will be thoroughly investigated

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has commiserated with the families of the two pilots, Flight Lieutenant Abubakar Alkali and Flight Lieutenant Elijah Karatu, who lost their lives in a plane crash on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Speaking when he visited the families of the deceased officers on Wednesday at the NAF Base, Kaduna, Amao said the crash of the trainer aircraft, “is yet again a tragic reminder of the perilous nature of the military flying profession as well as the risks NAF pilots continually take, daily, to secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity”.
In a statement issued after the visit by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, NAF Director of Public Relation and Information, Amao said the cause of the crash of the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft will be thoroughly investigated. 
The statement said the Air Chief had constituted an Accident Investigation Board upon receiving the sad news of the incident on Tuesday to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash. 
The statement added that Amao assured the officers, airmen and airwomen of 401 Flying Training School that all measures will be emplaced to avert similar occurrence in the future. 
“He also reminded them on the need to remain steadfast and focused on their assigned roles and responsibilities in view of the onerous task before the NAF and other security agency to rid the North-west and indeed the entire nation of all criminal elements.
“The unfortunate incident of yesterday’s trainer aircraft crash is yet again a tragic reminder of the perilous nature of the military flying profession as well as the risks NAF pilots continually take daily to secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity,” the statement said.