Missing Plane: Engineers Blame Cross River Govt

Shola Adekola, Lagos - 29.03.2008

The controversy trailing the missing Beech Craft plane which disappeared from the nation’s airspace on March 15, 2008 on its way to Bebi Airstrip, close to Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State with its three crew members may not exonerate the government of Cross River State after all.

According to investigations, following the dangerous terrain harbouring the airstrip which is surrounded by mountains and thick forest, efforts made by the appropriate aviation agency, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to take over the airstrip from the state government for proper management failed as the Cross River State government refused to hand it over.

NAMA was said to have attributed its reason for wanting to take over the airstrip to adequate guidance based on the lack of proper security facilities coupled with the fact that the airstrip lacks charted airway route.

The poor terrain of the airstrip makes it difficult for pilots flying there while those who operate there fly blindly due to poor accessibility.

Following the development, stakeholders in the aviation sector have therefore cautioned the federal government not to sacrifice officials of the aviation agencies for the missing plane.

In his earlier remark, the president of the National Association of Aircraft Engineers (NAAE), Ifeanyi Nwankwo said: ”That airstrip is not an airport; it is not charted, so it is like whoever is flying to that airstrip has his own responsibility for whatever happens.