“All 7 employees on board died in the accident,” said Deputy Marshal Ibikunle Daramola on Twitter.
He added that the Air Force Chief of Staff had ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.
“A King Air 350 military aircraft crashed near our Abuja runway after reporting an engine failure on the way [to] Minna. It appears to be fatal, “said the country’s aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, confirming the incident in a statement.
In a follow-up communication on Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, said the “aircraft reported engine failure at 10:39 am and crashed on the final approach path to Runway 22 in Abuja at the time 10: 48UTC. “
Odaudu said firefighters were deployed to the scene to put out a fire that engulfed the plane.
An aviation worker who asked not to be identified – alleging a lack of official authorization to speak to the press – told CNN that he witnessed the accident.
“The accident occurred not far from the track. The pilot tried to return to the runway after takeoff, ”he said.
The worker said the pilot diverted the plane to the crash site, which is in a deserted area. He said the aircraft narrowly avoided makeshift deposits and settlements around Nnamdi Azikwe international airport.