A yet-to-be-known student pilot has been rushed to an unnamed hospital in Zaria, Kaduna State after he was involved in an aircraft incident on Wednesday.
A source at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology hinted at The PUNCH but could not ascertain the current state of the student pilot’s health. He promised to update our correspondent as events unfold.
The trainee aircraft belonging to NCAT was said to have skidded off the runway on landing.
It was also gathered that there was no substantial damage to the aircraft, but the student pilot was said to be hospitalised at the time of filing this report.
Our correspondent also learned that the student pilot was immediately hospitalised, while the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority were notified of the incident.
When contacted, the spokesperson for NCAT, Jude Amadi, confirmed the development, saying the NCAA’s accident team has been contacted and will be taking over the scene of the incident, after which they will brief the press.
When asked if it was true that the student pilot in question was hospitalised, Amadi said, “The student wasn’t hospitalised; he only underwent a routine medical check. You know, in the event of any incident, it is only right that the person involved is subjected to a medical check.
“There was no issue of hospitalisation; in any case, the NCAA accident investigation unit has been invited, and they will come and take possession of the incident scene and also brief the press.”
When confronted with information obtained from a source that the student in question was still at the medical facility at the time of this report, Amadi said, “That is not to my knowledge, and I am not allowed to speak beyond the information I have given.”
Also speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said the incident was not a major one.
“Yes, it was true but it wasn’t a crash. That was just an aircraft skidding the runway. It wasn’t anything serious.”
Calls and text messages of enquiries put across to the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, were not responded to.(Punch)
