NAF Searches for Black Box of Crashed Military Aircraft in Ondo

The Nigerian Air Force says it is searching for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of its ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The aircraft, on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos, crashed into a swamp near the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda on Monday, killing all 25 persons on board.

The wreckage broke into two and is submerged about 30 metres deep, making recovery difficult. Heavy machinery including swamp buggies were deployed 48 hours after the crash by the Ondo State Government.

Divers have recovered body parts and aircraft debris, but are yet to reach the main fuselage. Rescuers said aviation fuel and decomposing remains have polluted the swamp.

AVM Ebimobo Ebiowe, NAF Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, said Friday at the crash site that investigators need the black box and cockpit voice recorder to determine cause.

“We hope to find critical components that will speak to investigators. What civilians call black box, we call flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder,” he said.

The Navy has deployed sonar equipment to map the underwater location.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, who visited Thursday, said a high-level investigation team of military and civilian experts, including NSIB, has been set up.

The traditional ruler of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the community will assist with local methods including boats and chains to pull out the wreckage.