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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have offered support for the search and rescue operation following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday.
The military aircraft, identified as an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, was en route from Benin to Lagos when contact with it was lost at about 9:13 a.m.
Keyamo, who confirmed the incident in a post on his X handle, said the aircraft initially disappeared from communication after attempts by air traffic controllers to establish contact with it proved unsuccessful.
He said subsequent information confirmed that the aircraft had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, adding that the wreckage had been located and search and rescue operations activated.
“I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, enroute Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” Keyamo said.
He added: “Subsequently information however confirmed that the military aircraft has crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State. The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing.”
According to the minister, preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
Keyamo stressed that the regulation and control of military aircraft were outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He, however, said the ministry would work with the military and other relevant agencies to support the rescue operation.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing,” he said.
He added that further information on the incident would be released as it became available.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has expressed condolences to the Nigerian Air Force and the families and colleagues of those involved in the accident, while offering technical assistance if formally requested by the Air Force.
In a statement signed by its Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., the NSIB said it stood ready to assist the Nigerian Air Force with technical expertise that could be required in the aftermath of the crash.
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The bureau said such assistance could include deploying investigators and using its Flight Safety Laboratory for the recovery, readout and analysis of flight recorder data.
Flight recorders, commonly referred to as black boxes, store vital information about an aircraft’s operation and can help investigators determine what happened before an accident. Depending on the equipment installed, the recorded data may include information on the aircraft’s speed, altitude, engine performance, flight controls and other critical parameters.
The NSIB, however, clarified that because the aircraft was operated by the military, investigative responsibility rests with the Nigerian Air Force.
“The Bureau will provide assistance upon a formal request from the Air Force,” it said.
The bureau said it was monitoring developments and remained prepared to provide technical support if requested by the Air Force.
It also commended the swift activation of search and rescue operations and the efforts of first responders working at the crash site.
The NSIB urged members of the public to rely on official information from the Nigerian Air Force and avoid unverified reports, particularly while the search and rescue operation was still underway.
“The public is urged to rely exclusively on official updates from the Nigerian Air Force on the rescue operation and on any investigation,” the bureau said.
It added that any further comment from the bureau would be issued only when appropriate and in consultation with the Nigerian Air Force.
“Further comment from the Bureau will be issued only as appropriate, and in consultation with the Nigerian Air Force,” it said.
The NSIB extended its “sincere condolences” to the Nigerian Air Force and the families and colleagues of those on board, while expressing solidarity with the search and rescue teams at Igbokoda.
Authorities are yet to release further details on the condition of those on board or the circumstances that led to the crash.
The ongoing search and rescue operation is expected to provide more information, while any subsequent investigation will seek to establish the circumstances and possible causes of the accident.
