Missing Plane Update: NEMA officials evacuate skulls, bones of pilots, hostess

Gill Nsa-Abasi, Calabar - 05.09.2008

NATIONAL Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has removed the remains of the occupants of the Beechcraft 1900D aircraft, which disappeared on March 15 during a flight between Lagos and the Bebi airstrip, near the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State.

After months of intensive but fruitless search, federal and state government officials and related agencies gave up the search and speculations continued on the whereabouts of the plane.

Wreckage of the Beechcraft 1900D aircraft
which got missing on March 15. The wreckage
was discovered by a hunter in Busi, Obanliku
Local Government Area of Cross River State,
recently.But on Tuesday, Cross River State government announced that the wreckage of the missing plane had been found in Busi village forest in Obanliku Local Government Area of the state.

Three persons were said to be onboard the ill-fated aircraft belonging to Wings Airline and their remains were seen at the Bebi Airstrip. Officials of NEMA and Cross River State government on Wednesday removed them from the crash site.

The bodies, which are apparently those of the pilot, the copilot and the airhostess, were removed by NEMA Rescue helicopter with registration number 5 NBGN at about 6.30 p.m. to the Bebi airstrip from where they were taken to Calabar enroute Abuja.

The remains, which were the skull and bones, were packed in plastic bags and loaded into the helicopter. One of the bodies, apparently that of the airhostess (had braided hair), was badly destroyed by the fire that engulfed the aircraft as she was the only one trapped in the aircraft while the bodies of the pilot and copilot were found some distance away from the crash spot.

One of the victims had his leg chopped off and it was still decomposing while the rest of the body had completely decayed. The Chairman of Obanliku Local Government Area of the state, Dr. A.O. Amanke, who had earlier received reports of the discovery of the crash site by hunters from Buis village of Busi, was said to be in possession of some of the documents found in the aircraft.

The crash scene, which is three minutes flight to the Bebi Airstrip, is only accessible by helicopter as the terrain is very difficult owing to the mountain and valleys.

The NEMA officials, who initially refused to take journalists to the place, had a change of mind when the need for the presence of newsmen was emphasised to them.