NAF Aircraft Crash: What Happened Before NGR 931 Went Down in Ondo

Questions are mounting over the final moments of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, after air traffic controllers reportedly lost contact with it shortly after take-off from Benin City.

The aircraft, identified as NGR 931, was travelling from Benin City in Edo State to Lagos on a routine mission when communication with air traffic controllers was lost at about 9:13am on Monday.

A senior air traffic controller familiar with the aircraft’s final journey said contact was established with the aircraft shortly after take-off but was later lost. Attempts to reconnect with the crew were unsuccessful before personnel at reporting points around Okitipupa reportedly heard a loud sound believed to have been the crash.

The aircraft eventually crashed into a swampy area in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. The difficult terrain, surrounded by water and creek areas, made access to the wreckage difficult and slowed the initial rescue operation.

Local residents, security personnel, emergency responders and fishermen joined the efforts to reach the crash site. Witnesses said they heard a loud sound during the incident, while some reported that it was drizzling around the time of the crash.

The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos and said an immediate search-and-rescue operation had been activated in coordination with other relevant authorities.

The initial information about the number of people on board was inconsistent. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, initially reported that 32 people were on the aircraft, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members. The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that 25 people were on board — five crew members and 20 passengers — and subsequently announced that there were no survivors.

The NAF has now released the names of the 25 people who died in the crash. They included five crew members, among them the flight captain, two co-pilots and two aircraft technicians, as well as 20 passengers comprising military personnel and other occupants.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the incident as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country. He assured the families of the victims that the service would provide full support.

The crash has also prompted questions about what happened between the time the aircraft left Benin and when it disappeared from radar. However, the reported loss of communication has not been established as the cause of the crash. The Nigerian Air Force has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine exactly what went wrong.

The wreckage, air traffic records, weather conditions, aircraft maintenance history, flight data and cockpit information are expected to be important parts of the investigation. Authorities are also expected to examine the aircraft’s flight recorder, if recovered, to establish what happened during its final moments.

The Ondo State Police Command confirmed that an investigation had commenced and appealed to residents to avoid spreading unverified information while authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.

President Bola Tinubu has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the Nigerian Air Force and directed the service to conduct a thorough investigation into the accident.

The crash has left the Nigerian military and the wider country mourning the loss of 25 people who were on a routine mission. As recovery efforts give way to a formal investigation, the central question now is what caused the aircraft to lose communication and disappear from radar so soon after take-off.

The answer will depend on the evidence recovered from the crash site and the findings of the investigation now being undertaken by the Nigerian Air Force.