The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria trainer aircraft, TB-9 Tampico crash-landed on Friday evening, but the instructor and pilot-trainee on board the aircraft escaped unhurt.
Shortly after the major incident, which was caused by engine failure, people alleged to be bandits sprayed bullets on the crashed aircraft and set it ablaze.
The Tampico aircraft crash-landed at Ruma Village, Sabon Birni where the people helped to evacuate the instructor and his student who regained consciousness after the disorientation occasioned by the crash and were assisted to return to base in Zaria.
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), which confirmed the incident in a statement, said that with the burning of the aircraft, it has become difficult to conduct investigation to know what caused the crash.
According to reports, the aircraft crash-landed about 6.5 nautical miles from Kaduna International Airport at an area suspected to be notorious haven for armed bandits and kidnappers who terrorise travellers and residents in Kaduna and Zamfara States.
“Immediately the aircraft crash-landed, the pilot-instructor and a student escaped from the scene. Some people in Ruma Village in Sabon Birni who noticed the wobbling of the aircraft before the crash rushed to the scene and evacuate the victims to safety.
“Surprisingly, immediately afterward, some armed bandits rushed to the scene rained bullets on the aircraft and set it on fire thinking that it was one of the jets in the fleet of the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) that had been bombarding their camps since the beginning of the year,” a security operative was said to have disclosed at the scene of the crash.
A statement from the College explained that the trainer aircraft developed a problem and ‘forced landed’ in Kaduna and confirmed that the pilot and other occupant of the aircraft escaped unhurt.
“The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Zaria, regrettably announces an incident, involving one of its TB-9 aircraft yesterday afternoon. The pilot made a successful forced-landing about 7 nautical miles northwest of Kaduna airport. Both occupants were unhurt and have since returned to Base. The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has been notified, in line with standard practice,” the statement added.
AIB acknowledged the notification and said, “On 1st March, 2019, AIB was notified of an accident of a Tampico (TB9) aircraft with Nationality and Registration marks 5N-CBP at Rumi forest, Sabon Birni, Birnin Gwari LGA, Kaduna State. The aircraft was on a Test Flight being conducted by a pilot and an engineer. The aircraft was force landed at 14:40 as a result of an engine failure. There was no fatality after the forced landing.”
