A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after take-off from Benin City, Edo State, before crashing in a swampy area of Igbokoda, Ondo State, a senior air traffic controller has said.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was travelling to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13am on Monday.
The aircraft later crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area.
The senior air traffic controller, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment, said communication with the aircraft was established shortly after take-off but was later lost.
“When the aircraft took off, we were in touch with it shortly afterward, but it disappeared from the radar. Efforts to reach it were unsuccessful,” the source said.
The source said personnel at nearby reporting points in Okitipupa later reported hearing a loud bang believed to have been the sound of the crash.
He said the military immediately launched search-and-rescue operations after the aircraft disappeared from radar.
“Almost immediately after it took off, we lost communication with it. There was no communication, nothing. And that makes it suspicious. The aircraft just vanished until the crash,” he said.
However, the cause of the loss of communication and the crash has not been established.
Key details emerge on final flight
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that air traffic controllers alerted him to the aircraft’s disappearance.
“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 later confirmed that the wreckage had been located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
“The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” he said.
Keyamo said 32 people — 25 passengers and seven crew members — were on board the aircraft.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently confirmed that the crash resulted in deaths and ordered the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
Difficult terrain slows rescue operation
The aircraft crashed into a swampy area within the creek, making access to the wreckage difficult.
Military personnel, police officers, emergency responders and local fishermen joined efforts to reach the crash site and recover victims.
An eyewitness told The PUNCH that military personnel and local fishermen were working around the wreckage.
“I could see the military men in the area while some local fishermen too were helping out, but it seems difficult to remove the wreckage because the plane forcefully entered into the swampy area.”
Another resident, identified as Sola, said the crash occurred while it was drizzling.
“We heard a very loud sound at the area where the incident happened, but we couldn’t get there because the place is a swampy area inside the creek. We were just looking at it from afar,” he said.
He said security personnel later arrived at the scene to begin rescue operations.
NAF confirms ATR-42 crash
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the NAF immediately activated a search-and-rescue operation after the accident.
The NAF said the operation was being conducted in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
The military said further information would be released as the rescue and recovery efforts progressed.
Police begin investigation
The Ondo State Police Command also confirmed that an investigation had commenced.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said details surrounding the crash were still emerging as authorities worked to establish the circumstances.
He urged residents of Igbokoda and neighbouring communities to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information.
Tinubu orders investigation
President Tinubu expressed sadness over the crash and directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately investigate its cause.
The State House said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda. The President extended condolences to the families of those on board and the Nigerian Air Force.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.
The President also commended the NAF and first responders for activating search-and-rescue operations.
He subsequently declared three days of national mourning for the Air Force personnel who died in the crash and directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country.
Black box recovery expected to aid probe
Attention has also turned to the aircraft’s flight recorder, commonly known as the black box.
The recorder, if recovered, could provide investigators with information about the aircraft’s final moments, including flight parameters and cockpit communications.
Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage alongside air traffic control records, weather conditions, maintenance records and eyewitness accounts to establish what caused the crash.
Some witnesses claimed the aircraft circled several times before going down as rainfall increased. That account has not been independently verified or confirmed by the NAF.
For now, the cause of the crash remains unknown as recovery efforts and the investigation continue.