Nigerian air force passenger plane crash kills seven people

A small Nigerian air force passenger plane crashed just outside Abuja airport after reporting engine failure on Sunday, killing all seven people on board, the air force said.<br/>The plane, a Beechcraft King Air 350i, was on its way to the city of Minna, 110 kilometres northwest of the capital, air force spokesman Ibikunle Daramole said in a statement. The aircraft “crashed while returning to the Abuja Airport after reporting engine failure”, said Daramole. “First responders are at the scene. Sadly, all seven personnel on board died in the crash.” The chief of the air force has ordered an investigation into the accident, Daramole said. The Beechcraft King Air 350i is a twin-propeller aircraft made by Textron Aviation, a unit of the US-based Textron Inc conglomerate. The model was first released around 2009. The company said that it had been notified of the accident, which it said is being investigated by Nigeria’s Aircraft Investigation Bureau and the US NTSB.<br/>