The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the military aircraft crash near Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as recovery teams face difficult terrain while working to retrieve the wreckage and bodies of the victims.
The Air Force also clarified that 25 people were aboard the aircraft, including seven crew members, correcting earlier reports that suggested 32 people were on board.
A military source told The PUNCH that a Board of Inquiry comprising aviation specialists had been activated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
According to the source, the panel, traditionally headed by the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, is expected to work alongside the recovery team because evidence gathered during the recovery operation would form part of the investigation.
The source said:
“A board of inquiry has been set up. Immediately after an aircraft crashes, we activated the board of specialists. The Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation is automatically the chairman of the board.
“It’s a permanent appointment. They have to be on the ground as they are recovering those things, because part of the recovery process forms part of the investigation.”
Recovery Teams Battle Difficult Terrain
The military source disclosed that recovery personnel were facing significant challenges because the aircraft went down in a swamp surrounded by dense vegetation.
According to the source, a private construction company provided specialised floating equipment to clear a path through the vegetation and enable recovery teams to access the submerged aircraft.
The source said the aircraft’s fuselage was deeply submerged, making it difficult to retrieve the bodies and major components of the aircraft.
“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.
“A construction company brought a floating buggy, or whatever it’s called. So, that’s what is clearing that path.
“Until we clear that part, we can look for what to use to lift the fuselage out of that swamp. It is going to take time before we can recover the bodies. The clearing operations remain ongoing at the site.”
The official also dismissed speculation about the age and airworthiness of the aircraft, saying it was a relatively modern acquisition delivered around 2010 and had been properly maintained.
NAF Explains 25-Person Figure
Speaking separately, NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed that a comprehensive investigation had commenced on the directive of the Chief of Air Staff.
Ejodame said the Air Force would follow its established aircraft accident investigation procedures and that the findings would be made public after the preliminary report is concluded.
He said:
“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. Whether it’s a board, committee, or a one-man army.”
The NAF spokesperson also explained the apparent discrepancy between the earlier figure of 32 persons and the 25-person figure now confirmed by the Air Force.
According to him, the figure of 25 “souls on board” already includes the seven crew members.
He explained that while five personnel were operating as active crew members during the flight, two other personnel classified as crew were travelling as passengers.
Ejodame said:
“For air traffic controllers, when they normally communicate ‘25 souls on board inclusive of seven crew’, it is minus the seven – the seven is in the 25. It doesn’t mean you add.”
He added:
“In this case, there were 25 souls on board: five were active crew, then two were passengers, but they are crew. So, there are seven crew on board reported, but only five were flying at that time. The other two were on board as passengers.”
Recovery operations remain ongoing at the crash site as authorities work to retrieve the remaining victims and aircraft wreckage while simultaneously gathering evidence for the investigation into the cause of the crash.
