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The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, ordered the deployment of sonar equipment from the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department to help locate the submerged aircraft
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The Nigerian Air Force has commenced an investigation into the military aircraft crash that occurred in Igbokoda, a swampy area of Ondo State, as recovery teams continue efforts to locate the main fuselage and recover victims of the tragedy.
The aircraft crashed on Monday with 25 people on board, with the wreckage becoming difficult to access after it was submerged in the swamp. Recovery operations have been slowed by the dense vegetation, deep water and difficult terrain surrounding the crash site.
A military source confirmed that a board of inquiry had been activated following the crash, in line with established procedures for investigating aircraft accidents.
The source explained that the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation traditionally chairs the inquiry and that investigators were expected to work alongside recovery teams because evidence gathered during the recovery operation would form part of the investigation.
“A board of inquiry has been set up. Immediately after an aircraft crashes, we activated the board of specialists,” the source said.
According to the official, the chairman of the board is a permanent appointment and investigators need to be at the crash site while recovery operations are ongoing.
The source, however, said the recovery of all the bodies had yet to be completed because the aircraft was deeply submerged and the response teams were still clearing the swamp to gain access to the wreckage.
A private construction company was said to have deployed specialised floating equipment to clear thick vegetation around the crash site and create access for recovery teams.
The military source said the clearing operation was necessary before appropriate equipment could be used to lift the aircraft’s fuselage from the swamp.
“I don’t think they’ve recovered all the bodies yet. The aircraft is deeply submerged in the swamp, and we are currently clearing the area,” the source said.
The official also dismissed speculation that the aircraft was an old or outdated platform, saying it was a relatively modern aircraft delivered around 2010 and had been properly maintained.
The Nigerian Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, also confirmed that a comprehensive investigation had commenced on the orders of the Chief of Air Staff.
Ejodame explained that the service follows established aircraft accident investigation procedures and said the investigation would determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
He said the findings would be communicated after the preliminary investigation had been completed.
“The most important thing is that the Chief of Air Staff has directed a comprehensive investigation and the outcome of that one will be communicated,” he said.
The spokesman also addressed confusion over reports concerning the number of people on board the aircraft.
He explained that aviation terminology used by air traffic controllers had contributed to inaccurate reports suggesting that more than 32 people were involved in the incident.
According to him, when air traffic controllers report a particular number of “souls on board,” the number already includes the crew.
He clarified that 25 people were on board the aircraft, comprising five active crew members and two other crew members who were travelling as passengers.
The clarification means that seven crew members were listed as being on board, but only five were performing active flight duties at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, visited the crash site on Wednesday, about 72 hours after the incident, and ordered that search and recovery operations should continue.
The governor described the incident as a national tragedy and said no survivor had been found at the site as of the time of his visit.
Aiyedatiwa visited the area alongside personnel from the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, divers, the National Emergency Management Agency, the State Emergency Management Agency and residents who had participated in rescue efforts since the crash.
He described the scene as a “very gory sight,” saying body parts, clothes, personal belongings and broken sections of the aircraft had been recovered and preserved for investigation.
The governor said the main body of the aircraft had not been sighted because it remained submerged in the swamp.
“The main body of the aircraft has not been sighted, because it has been submerged in the swamp,” he said.
According to him, the difficult terrain had made access to the crash site a major challenge, prompting the state government to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp buggies.
The machines were being used to open wider access through the waterways, enabling larger boats to move closer to the crash location.
Aiyedatiwa said the equipment was also being used to excavate sections of the swamp in an effort to locate other parts of the wreckage and the main body of the aircraft.
He added that Navy personnel and local divers were continuing the search in deeper sections of the swamp.
The Nigerian Navy has also deployed specialised equipment to assist the search.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, ordered the deployment of sonar equipment from the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department to help locate the submerged aircraft.
The equipment was deployed to provide an underwater picture of the mapped-out search area, where the high level of turbidity in the swamp was making visual searches difficult.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, disclosed the development during an assessment visit to the crash site on Tuesday.
Mustapha interacted with technical personnel and members of the recovery team and urged them to intensify efforts to recover the aircraft and victims.
The recovery operation involves personnel from several military formations, emergency response agencies, security organisations, technical teams and other stakeholders.
The naval delegation was received at the Officers’ Mess of the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, by the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa, before proceeding to the operational area.
Government officials, community leaders, emergency management personnel and other stakeholders also gathered at the base to express condolences and support for the Armed Forces.
As recovery efforts continue, the investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the crash, while authorities work to recover the remaining victims and the submerged aircraft.
The findings of the investigation could also determine whether any operational, technical or procedural changes are required following the incident.
