Air Force Helicopter Crashes in Port Harcourt



A military helicopter, belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, thursday crashed at the airbase of the Special Operations Group (SOG), Nigerian Air Force, located at Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt.
It was gathered that the aircraft crashed at about 10am when the pilot tried to land the plane.
 The number of people on board could not be ascertained as at press time but a source said there were three air force personnel on board and that they were unhurt.
Efforts by newsmen to get more facts about the incident proved abortive as the authorities of the base shut the gates leading to the crash site and refused to speak to the press on the incident.
    However, a source at the airbase, who would not want to be named, said the ill-fated jet was loaded with arms and ammunition and was heading to an undisclosed location for a special operation. He said the aircraft developed a fault immediately after take-off and the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing.
He said: “Actually, the aircraft involved in the crash was a fighter plane. It was heading for a special operation with arms and ammunition in an area I will not like to mention but unfortunately, it developed technical fault immediately after take-off.
“In an effort to make an emergency landing, the pilot lost control and it crashed within the Air Force base. There were three officers on board. Luckily for them, help came on time and they were rescued alive and taken to a hospital, which I will not mention its name. Information we are getting is that they are responding to treatment.”
He said he could not ascertain if there were people on the site of the crash before the incident occurred.
 A statement by Group Captain D J Alonge, on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, confirmed the crash and said investigations had been ordered into the incident.
The statement said:  “A Nigerian Air Force Mi-24B helicopter on a training exercise made an emergency landing today (yesterday) at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Port Harcourt at about 10 am. There was no casualty as all the crew members came out unhurt.
“The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal A S Badeh, on receipt of the report, has immediately constituted a team of experts to unravel the circumstances that led to the accident. Further details of the crash will be made known as investigation reveals.”
The crash of the air force plane came a few days after an  Alpha jet fighter, belonging to the Nigerian Army, had  crashed  a few days ago some 37 miles (60 kilometres) west of Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic, killing both pilot and co-pilot on board
Source:This Day

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