The scene of the air crash involving a NAF aircraft, Beechcraft KingAir BB305i in Bassa, a community close to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja has been cleared.
The aircraft crashed around 10:30am on Sunday while returning to Abuja airport after reporting engine failure en route Minna.
It claimed seven personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, who were occupants of the aircraft.
The deceased officers include: Flight Lieutenant Haruna Gadzama (Captain); Flight Lieutenant Henry Piyo (Co-Pilot); Flying Officer Micheal Okpara (Airborne Tactical Observation System (ATOS) Specialist) and Warrant Officer Bassey Etim (ATOS Specialist).
Others were: Flight Sergeant Olasunkanmi Olawunmi (ATOS Specialist); Sergeant Ugochukwu Oluka (ATOS Specialist) and Aircraftman Adewale Johnson (Onboard Technician).
The scene of the crash was cordoned off with tapes and dogs from NAF K9 Wing on Sunday as part of measures to prevent people from the scene.
According to residents of Bassa, barely twelve hours after the crash, the military were at the scene to clear the debris.
The traffic the community witnessed on Sunday as a result of the crash also reduced as people were seen going about their businesses.
Despite clearing the site, there were still traces of substances that appeared like burnt skin, logo of NAF suspected to be attached to one of the personnel’s cap, bolt, screws and other burnt particles.
Scavengers were also seen on site picking the remains that were left.
Speaking to The Nation, one of the workers at a block industry close to the site of the crash, Benjamin Kefas said he assisted the military in clearing the debris.
Kefas said: “They came around 11pm to pack the remaining particles of the crashed aircraft. They came with truck to pack what was remaining from the scene.
“After packing it, they removed the tape that was used to mark the area to prevent people from getting close and left with their dogs and their personnel.
“I assisted them in packing some components of the aircraft into the truck they brought.”
Describing how the crash occurred, another resident, Anthony Bala said: “The pilot really tried and I will say he is a hero. I could sense that he was struggling as the aircraft was going up and down. I think he was trying to ensure that the plane lands at a place that was not residential or crowded.”
(The Nation)
