Three people were killed yesterday afternoon when their Cessna 337H Super Skymaster (MSN 337-1173 | 5U-ABP) crashed on take off from Niamey's Diori Hamani International Airport, Niger's Ministry of Transport has announced in a statement. |
| The ill fated Cessna 337H - 5U-ABP (unknown) |
In the accident, which occurred at 16h57L on Monday afternoon, "the three people on board, all of Nigerien nationality, lost their lives," the ministry said in the statement read on national television on Monday night.
The victims have been named as:
- Moussa Mahamane Arzika, 71, the owner of the plane, former pilot at Air Afrique and Flight Inspector of the Nigerien aviaton authority ANAC Niger
- Ibrahim Zakari, mechanic with the Directorate of Plant Protection;
- Alichina Boukari, Assistant Mechanic at TAMARA Aviation Compagnie Aérienne du Niger
Source [Panapress]
A "technical inquiry" has been launched to "determine the circumstances and causes of this accident,” the ministry said.