NAF Sets Up 12-Member Board to Probe Ondo Air Crash

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has constituted a 12-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash of its ATR 42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, which claimed 25 lives.

The aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed on October 5 while on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos. All 25 people on board died in the incident.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, had directed sustained search and recovery operations alongside a comprehensive investigation.

The statement named Air Vice Marshal F.O. Ankeli as president of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board, while Air Vice Marshal E.O.E. Ebiowe, head of the Investigation and Recovery Team, will coordinate the wider response.

According to the Air Force, the 12-member board comprises personnel with specialist knowledge of aviation operations, flight safety, piloting, air traffic control, aircraft engineering, maintenance, medical services and other relevant technical disciplines.

The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the crash and identify any factors that may have contributed to the tragedy. The Air Force has urged the public to avoid speculation while the inquiry is ongoing.

Recovery efforts have been complicated by the swampy terrain around Igbokoda, where thick vegetation, muddy waters and difficult access have hindered teams working to retrieve the wreckage and victims’ remains.

The crash has prompted renewed calls for a thorough review of military aviation safety. On Tuesday, the Senate resolved to investigate budgetary provisions for the maintenance of Nigerian Air Force aircraft, while the House of Representatives also called for an audit of the service’s fleet.

The lawmakers urged relevant authorities to examine aircraft maintenance, operational readiness and compliance with safety standards, with a view to preventing similar incidents.

The Air Force has pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the crash and support the families of the deceased personnel and passengers. The findings of the inquiry are expected to help clarify what happened and inform measures to strengthen aviation safety.