Breaking: Missing Alpha Jet might have Crashed, NAF Reveals, Speaks on Pilots' Whereabouts
- At least one fact about the missing NAF jet is now in the public domain
- The force on Friday, April 2, revealed that there is a high possibility that the aircraft crashed
- NAF also said that the whereabouts of the pilots who board the jet is still a mystery
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The Nigerian Air Force on Friday, April 2, gave an important update on the missing Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) which lost radar on Wednesday, March 31.
Without giving a specific location, NAF on its Facebook page said the aircraft might have been involved in a crash.
The force, however, said it knows nothing about the cause of the accident and that the pilots, Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele are still missing.
Moreover, NAF said extensive search and rescue efforts by its surveillance aircraft and special forces are still underway.
Source: Facebook
The post partly read:
"The cause of the crash as well as the whereabouts of the 2 pilots remain unknown. The pilots are Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.
"Extensive search and rescue efforts are still ongoing by NAF surveillance aircraft as well as NAF Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops on ground.
"At this point, the NAF is not ruling out anything regarding the incident. It however remains hopeful that the crew would soon be found and rescued."
Earlier, NAF had given an update regarding its Alpha-Jet which lost contact with radar in Borno state while on an interdiction mission in support of ground troops.
A statement sent to Legit.ng on Thursday, April 1, by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the NAF's director of public relations and information, indicates that the mission was part of the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the northeast.
The loss of radar contact, according to the statement, occurred at about 5.08pm on Wednesday, March 31.
Details of the whereabouts of the aircraft or likely cause of contact loss are still sketchy but would be relayed to the general public as soon as they become clear to the force.
Source: Legit.ng
