An IRS Airlines owned Fokker 100 crashed in the Niger Republic on the evening of May 10.
The aircraft (registration number 5NSIK) was flying back to Nigeria after going through C checks when it lost communication with the control tower near Ganla at about 7:30 p.m. and then crashed.
The plane was carrying two persons at the time of accident. Both of them survived.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had ceased the operations of IRS airlines last year after one of its aircrafts experienced hydraulic malfunctioning while landing at Kaduna airport. The airline, operating 3 Fokker 100 planes at the time then scheduled C checks for the aircrafts.
The crashed Fokker plane was the second one which underwent successful C checks. The airline, owned by a Nigerian business tycoon, Ishiaku Rabiu, was awaiting its return to resume their operations. An IRS official was quoted saying, “I have not heard about the crash before now but I know that we are waiting for this aircraft to arrive today (May 10) so that we could resume operation immediately. We already have one that had gone through C check; we are just waiting for this one. So if it has crashed it will be a great setback to us.”
According to the Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Benedict Adeyileka, Niger Republic officials are investigating the crash. He further said “The NCAA and the AIPB are offering assistance, so we have a team together and we are trying to contact them so that we can work together.”