The Nigerian armed forces suffered a major loss last week, when an air force-operated Dornier 228 transport crashed in a remote part of the country, killing 13 of the senior officers on board.

The aircraft involved in the accident is believed to have been registered 8229: Nigeria’s youngest 228, according to Flight’s MiliCAS database. Delivered in 1997, the TPE331-powered aircraft crashed into a hillside while en route from Abuja International airport to an airstrip in Bebi, according to local media reports.

The hull loss leaves the Nigerian air force with an operational fleet of seven Dornier 228s. The service also flies a mix of EADS Casa CN-235s and Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transports. Alenia Aeronautica is also in the process of reactivating its G222 fleet.

Source: Flight International