The Defence Headquarters yesterday confirmed the death of three crew members in another air crash involving one of the nation’s military helicopters in Adamawa State..
It was the second time in one week that a military helicopter would crash in Yola, the state capital.
But in spite of losing another helicopter to air crash, the Nigerian Air Force has flown at least 6,000 missions to the troubled North-East in an offensive against the Boko Haram sect.
The latest incident occurred at about 9 pm on Thursday around the Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola, located at Batare, a hamlet under Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Two eyewitnessesand residents of the area, Mr David Omole and Comrade Jonathan Philibus, who saw the low flying chopper when it crashed, said:the chopper crashed closed to their houmes with about five people on board wearing army uniforms.
A one-paragraph statement issued by the Defence Headquarters said: “At about 2200hours yesterday 13 November 2014, a ground attack helicopter on an armed patrol crashed around the Federal University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State.
“ The crew of 3 was lost in the ill-fated accident. Rescue party worked throughout the night to preserve the wreckage of the aircraft and scene of the accident for proper investigation to be carried out.
“Further details would be made known later.”
Another source added: “Military aviation experts have been deployed in Yola to investigate the crash. This is the second or third time it will happen in Yola airport and its environs.
“One of the areas of investigation is the visibility or navigational situation of the airport in the evening and night.
“The investigators will also ascertain if the requisite technological manpower and facilities are in place at the airport.”
Investigation into the incident was still on as at press time.
A military source, who gave an update on the operations against Boko Haram insurgents said the troops had started “ full-scale campaign” in the North-East.
The source said: “Since the Boko Haram campaign of terror commenced in full-scale in the North-East states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, the Nigerian Air Force has flown at least 6,000 missions in efforts to rid the zone of insurgency.
“The missions, aiming to decimate, degrade, destabilise and demoralise the Boko Haram terrorists with a view to completely curtailing their freedom of actions, comprised ground attacks platforms, mission on ATR-42, Beechcraft air surveillance platform, airlift missions using the G-222 and the C-130H.
“The Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, said at a recent forum at the University of Ibadan that the scope of the operations included airlift of troops and equipment, rotation of forces, battlefield interdiction, casualty evacuation, air surveillance Operations and armed reconnaissance Missions among other operations.”
SOURCE: The nationsonline
