According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, who spoke on the matter on Thursday, when the helicopter took off from Abuja and landed in Bauchi, there was no light on the airport’s runway.
He further stated that the pilot attempted to speak with the control tower but received no response, forcing him to proceed to a controlled landing, during which the aircraft’s tail rotor was damaged.
Mba was responding to an earlier report in a statement by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) that a Bell 429 helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Police crashed at the Bauchi airport at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 26th.
According to the AIB report, some of the six people on board were injured to varying degrees.
However, a Police spokeswoman stated that no one was injured during the incident and that just the rotor of the aircraft, which collided with an obstruction, was damaged, with no serious damage to the plane itself.
He said: “The Nigeria Police Helicopter, Bell 429 5NMDA, flying from Abuja to Bauchi on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, was involved in a controlled safe landing at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi.
“The aircraft did not crash as being reported in some sections of the media and none of the occupants sustained any injury whatsoever. All six (6) onboard including the pilot and co-pilot are in good condition.
“Similarly, the aircraft, which was flown by one of the best Police Pilots, was professionally safe-landed with minor damage on the rear rotor as a result of obstacle at the landing spot. The incident occurred around 7:30 PM (local time).
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc has commended the Police Air-Wing for their professionalism in safe-landing the aircraft and averting any serious air-mishap.
“He further noted that the Nigeria Police Air-wing – with a fleet of one fixed-wing aircraft, a citation jet, and thirteen (13) helicopters – has got a strong history of air safety since its establishment in the year 1972.”
