By Ado Oyeyemi
The Nigerian Air Force has intensified efforts to recover the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of its ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing all 25 personnel on board.
The aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin to Lagos on a routine flight when it crashed into a swamp near the Naval Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda on Monday.
Five days after the incident, the main wreckage remained submerged, with only fragments recovered despite the deployment of specialised equipment.
The NAF Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Ebimobo Ebiowe, said on Saturday that the recovery team was searching for critical aircraft components that could help investigators determine the cause of the crash. He identified the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder as vital pieces of evidence.
The devices are expected to provide information about the aircraft’s performance, flight parameters, cockpit conversations and alarms before the crash.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has deployed specialised sonar equipment to map the submerged wreckage and guide divers because of poor underwater visibility caused by the swamp’s high turbidity.
The Ondo State Government has also deployed heavy-duty amphibious excavators and technical personnel to the site, while Nigerian Navy divers and NAF drone operators are searching the surrounding mangrove and forested areas for wreckage and other evidence.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said a high-level investigation team comprising military and civilian aviation safety experts had been constituted to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. He urged Nigerians to avoid speculation and allow specialists to complete their work.
Aneke, who visited the crash site, appreciated the Ondo State Government for supporting the recovery operation, adding that the deaths were a painful loss to the military and the country.
He described the deceased personnel as highly trained and professional officers, some of whom he knew personally.
The Air Chief assured Nigerians that the investigation would be thorough and aimed at preventing a recurrence, stressing that the military was committed to aviation safety.
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He appealed for patience as recovery operations and investigations continued to determine what went wrong.
