“All 7 personnel on board were killed in the crash,” Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola said on Twitter.
He added that the Chief of the Air Force has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.
A military plane King Air 350 crashed just off our runway in Abuja after reporting an engine failure en route [to] Minna. It appears to be fatal, ” said Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, confirming the incident in a statement.
In a follow-up communication Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, said the “plane reported an engine failure at 10:39 am and crashed on the last approach path of Abuja Runway 22 at 10:48 UTC.”
Odaudu said firefighters were deployed to extinguish a raging fire that engulfed the plane.
An airline employee who asked not to be named – citing the lack of official permission to speak to the press – told CNN he witnessed the crash.
“The crash occurred not far from the runway. The pilot had attempted to return to the runway after takeoff,” he said.
The employee said the pilot had the plane slew to the crash site, which is in an abandoned area. He said the plane narrowly avoided warehouses and makeshift settlements around Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.