NSIB, Navy intensify underwater search for wreckage of NAF aircraft in Ondo(Photos)

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigerian Navy have continued round-the-clock underwater search and recovery operations at the site of the Nigerian Air Force ATR 42-500 aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The NSIB disclosed this in a statement published on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, confirming that the joint team had recovered more aircraft components as efforts continued to retrieve items needed for the investigation.

According to the bureau, specialist divers are working underwater to locate and recover parts of the wreckage, which sank into a swampy mangrove area following the crash on October 5.

The NSIB explained that the difficult conditions at the site, including thick mud, water and challenging terrain, had made access to the wreckage more difficult.

It added that the recovery team had been using specialised equipment and different techniques to reach and retrieve sections of the aircraft submerged in the area.

“Specialist divers from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and Nigerian Navy are continuing round-the-clock underwater search and recovery operations at the NAF ATR 42-500 accident site in Igbokoda, Ondo State,” the statement read.

The bureau’s reference to round-the-clock operations indicates that the search is continuing beyond normal working hours as teams attempt to retrieve more material from the crash site.

The involvement of both NSIB and Navy divers also reflects the multi-agency nature of the recovery effort, with the retrieved components expected to support the investigation into the accident.

The NSIB said the operation was being supported by hydrographic surveys, satellite synthetic aperture radar imagery, mud excavation and continuous water pumping.

These methods are being used to assess the submerged site, identify areas of interest and improve access to the wreckage in the waterlogged terrain.

“Supported by hydrographic surveys, satellite SAR imagery, mud excavation, and continuous water pumping, multi-agency teams have successfully recovered additional aircraft components,” it said.

Hydrographic surveys help teams examine underwater conditions, while satellite SAR imagery can assist in identifying relevant features and changes at the site.

Excavation and water pumping are also intended to help recovery personnel reach areas where aircraft material may be buried beneath mud or obscured by water. The NSIB, however, did not specify the components recovered in the latest operation or state how much of the aircraft had been retrieved.

The bureau said the recovery effort remained active, stressing that investigators still needed to secure relevant materials from the site.

“Search efforts remain active to retrieve all relevant materials to support the ongoing investigation,” the statement added.

The materials recovered from an aircraft accident site can assist investigators in examining the wreckage and reconstructing events surrounding the crash. The NSIB did not announce any finding on the cause of the Igbokoda accident in its latest update, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The aircraft, identified as NAF 931, crashed on October 5 while on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos. Contact with air traffic controllers was lost at about 9.13am before the wreckage was located near the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that all 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the accident. The loss of all those on board prompted recovery efforts involving the military, the NSIB, the Navy, the Ondo State Government and other responders.

In the days after the crash, the Ondo State Government deployed swamp buggies to assist personnel trying to reach the wreckage.

The state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, said the aircraft had sunk deep into the swamp, making it difficult for conventional vehicles and boats to access the site.

Ajaka said the swamp buggies were needed to reach the depth at which the aircraft was located, while divers continued working in the water. The recovery operation has since involved efforts to reach the submerged wreckage and retrieve material for examination.

The Nigerian Air Force also constituted a 12-member Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to examine the circumstances of the crash, determine its causes and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

The investigation is expected to rely on relevant evidence recovered from the site, including aircraft components and other materials that may help establish what happened before the aircraft went down.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, had visited the crash site and assured the families of the victims that the military would investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident. However, the authorities have not publicly established the cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, the slow recovery process has raised environmental and public health concerns among residents of Igbokoda. The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, had urged the Federal and Ondo State governments to expedite the recovery of victims’ remains and aircraft debris, citing an offensive odour around the river and concerns about possible aviation fuel contamination.

The monarch described the smell as “extremely offensive and unbearable” and expressed concern about the impact on residents who depend on the river for domestic use and their livelihoods.

His concerns heightened calls for the recovery operation to be accelerated and for the authorities to assess the possible environmental effects of the crash.

In response to the complaints, the Ondo State Government ordered fumigation around the Igbokoda River and directed relevant ministries to address residents’ concerns.

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