Ondo crash: NAF sets up probe, FG plans safety reforms

The Nigerian Air Force has constituted a board of inquiry to investigate the cause of a military aircraft crash that occurred on in Igbokoda, a swampy area of Ondo State.

Also, recovery operations and preliminary investigations are underway, it was gathered.

Speaking on the investigation process, a military source confirmed that a board of inquiry, traditionally chaired by the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, was activated after the crash.

“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,” the official stated.

Asked if the bodies had been recovered, the source said the response crew were facing hurdles at the crash site due to the dense vegetation and terrain.

The official added that a private construction firm provided specialised floating heavy equipment to clear thick vegetation in the swamp before recovery teams can access and extract the aircraft’s fuselage.

“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 source added.

Addressing public speculation regarding the age and airworthiness of the aircraft, the military official dismissed claims that the plane was outdated.

The source clarified that the aircraft was a relatively modern acquisition delivered around 2010 and properly maintained.

When contacted, the NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said a comprehensive investigation into the recent military aircraft crash is already underway under the direct order of the Chief of Air Staff, dismissing concerns over the non-constitution of a formal board of inquiry.

The Air Force spokesperson explained that the service relies on standard, established aircraft investigation protocols rather than ad hoc panels, adding that official findings will be made public once the preliminary report is concluded.

“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,” he said.

Rebutting reports circulating online that 32 or more casualties were involved, the spokesman explained how the Air Traffic Control terminology led to public confusion regarding the victims.

“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.”

Clarifying further, he explained, “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.”

Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Wednesday visited the scene of the crash, 72 hours after the tragic incident.

He ordered that search and recovery operations should continue for the victims and the wreckage.

The ill-fated aircraft had yet to be removed from the swampy area where it crashed with 25 people on board on Monday.

Aiyedatiwa, who described the crash as a national tragedy, had declared that no survivor had been found at the scene as of the time of his visit, adding that only the pilot could have explained the cause of the crash.

The governor visited the site alongside personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, divers, the National Emergency Management Agency Director for the South-West, the State Emergency Management Agency Director, and residents who had participated in rescue efforts since Monday.

He described the scene as a “very gory sight”, with body parts, clothes and possessions of the victims and broken aircraft parts recovered and preserved for further investigation.Shop African Art

He said, “The main body of the aircraft has not been sighted, because it has been submerged in the swamp.”

According to him, the difficulty in accessing the site prompted him to direct the Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp buggies, to open wider access through the waterways.

“The machines have enabled rescue teams to move bigger boats closer to the crash site and are being used to excavate the swamp in search of other parts of the wreckage or the main body of the aircraft,” he noted.

The governor added that the aircraft had still not been sighted as of the time of his visit, while Navy personnel and local divers continued searching the deeper sections of the area.

As part of efforts to locate the wreckage of the aircraft, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, ordered the deployment of the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department’s state- of-the-art sonar scan equipment to the scene of the incident.

The sonar was deployed to get a clear underwater picture of the mapped-out area due to the turbidity of the swamp.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, disclosed this during the assessment visit to the scene of the crash on Tuesday.

Mustapha, who interacted with the technical crew and other recovery team, encouraged them to intensify efforts towards the prompt execution of the recovery operation, which involved collaboration by military formations, emergency response agencies, security organisations, technical personnel and other stakeholders.

The Mustapha-led 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 base where government officials, community leaders, emergency management agencies and other stakeholders gathered to express their condolences and support for the Armed Forces.