. LUNGU
By CHARITY MOONGA –
GOVERNMENT has received the initial report and preliminary findings into the FA 528 SAB aircraft crash, which left two Zambia Air Force (ZAF) pilots dead in Livingstone last month.
Defence Minister Edgar Lungu said Government was currently studying the report to establish the cause of the plane crash.
Mr Lungu said this in an interview in Abuja, Nigeria, where he had gone to represent President Michael Sata during the 100 years centenary celebrations.
He said at the moment, it was not possible to indicate whether the crash was due to the state of the aircraft, but that Government would study the findings of the board of inquiry before informing the public.
“We have received the initial report and until the conclusion is done we cannot say the cause of the accident.
“What we know is that our equipment is airworthy and even as a country we do not want to use aged equipment,” he said.
The plane accident occurred on January 14 around 12:00 hours near Kabanje Bwiketo Village, located less than a kilometre off the Zimba-Livingstone Road, about 40 kilometres from Livingstone town centre.
