A Brazilian-made EMB-314 Super Tucano military aircraft crashed
about 7km south of Aoujeft (c. 300 miles NE of Nouakchott) on the Adrar plateau
at 10:50 on 18 March. The plane, which was at first reported to have been on a
training mission, was actually on a test flight after undergoing maintenance.
The plane had two people on board. Captain Ahmed Taleb Ould
Aheimed, who was piloting the aircraft, survived with only slight injuries. The
mechanic, Sergeant Boubacar M'Bodj, was killed.
With French assistance, the Mauritanian army had established a
training centre for pilots and technicians at Atar more than two years ago in
order to respond to the AQIM terrorist attacks that had begun on the country in
2005. A military source indicated that the crash was the result of a “technical
failure”, although an enquiry is being held.
This is the second military plane to crash in less than 12
months. In July 2012, a military plane crashed on the tarmac of Nouakchott
airport, killing eight people.
For more news and expert analysis about Mauritania, please see
Mauritania
Politics & Security.
© 2013 Menas Associates
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