NSIB, Navy Divers Recover More Wreckage From Ondo Military Plane Crash

NSIB, Navy Divers Recover More Wreckage From Ondo Military Plane Crash

IGBOKODA, Ondo State — Multi-agency recovery teams have retrieved additional components from the wreckage of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed into a coastal mangrove swamp near Igbokoda, Ondo State, as efforts continue to recover materials vital to investigations into the disaster.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) disclosed on Wednesday that its investigators, working alongside Nigerian Navy divers and other emergency responders, were conducting intensive underwater search and recovery operations at the crash site.

The aircraft, an ATR 42-500 designated NAF 931, reportedly crashed on October 5 while travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos. The supplied report stated that all 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the incident.

According to the NSIB, the recovery operation has been complicated by thick mud, deep water and difficult terrain within the mangrove swamp, making access to the submerged wreckage particularly challenging.

To overcome these obstacles, the teams are deploying hydrographic surveys, satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, mud excavation and continuous water pumping to locate and retrieve aircraft components.

The Ondo State Government has also provided heavy-duty swamp buggies to assist responders in reaching areas where parts of the aircraft remain embedded in the swamp.

The NSIB said additional components had been recovered through the coordinated efforts, adding that the search would continue until materials considered essential to the investigation had been retrieved.

However, the bureau had yet to specify the components recovered or confirm whether the aircraft’s flight recorders had been located.

Military, NSIB Investigate Crash

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has visited the crash site and assured the victims’ families that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted.

A 12-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Board appointed by the military is also investigating the incident alongside the NSIB.

The investigations are expected to examine the physical evidence, establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.

Authorities have not yet established the cause of the disaster.

Residents Raise Environmental Concerns

Beyond the recovery operation, the prolonged presence of wreckage and human remains in the swamp has raised concerns among residents over public health and possible environmental contamination.

The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has appealed to the federal and Ondo State governments to accelerate recovery efforts, citing a strong odour emanating from the crash site.

The traditional ruler also expressed concern about the possibility of aviation fuel contaminating the river system, which residents depend on for fishing and domestic activities.

In response, the Ondo State Government reportedly ordered fumigation around the Igbokoda River and directed health officials to monitor environmental conditions.

The recovery operation is expected to remain critical to the investigation, as the retrieval and examination of aircraft components may provide evidence needed to determine what led to the fatal crash.

For now, search teams continue to work in the difficult swamp environment while investigators await further physical evidence to advance their findings.

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