NAF recovers more aircraft components from Ondo crash site

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully recovered supplementary components from the crash site of its ATR 42-500 aircraft located in Igbokoda, Ondo State, while specialist divers from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) continue their underwater search and recovery operations.

This development was announced by the Air Force through a statement posted on its official X account on the previous day.

The NAF indicated that coordinated multi-agency teams are maintaining continuous operations to collect and retrieve pertinent aircraft materials for documentation and preservation purposes, thereby supporting the ongoing investigation.

According to the statement, the operation encompasses underwater exploration supported by hydrographic assessments, satellite-based search-and-rescue data, sediment excavation, and water extraction procedures to enable access to critical zones.

The organization confirmed that specialist divers from both the Navy and NSIB are persisting with the search efforts, and that additional aircraft components have been successfully recovered from the accident location.

MEANWHILE, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has mandated the immediate disinfection of the river at Igbokoda in response to reports of unpleasant odours and apprehensions regarding potential environmental contamination following the Nigerian Air Force aircraft incident that occurred the previous week.

This directive was communicated through an official statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku.

Pursuant to the statement, the governor has instructed the Ministries of Environment and Health to jointly execute a comprehensive disinfection operation aimed at mitigating potential health hazards and averting possible outbreaks of waterborne illnesses.

HOWEVER, the NAF has implemented enhanced flight safety protocols, encompassing comprehensive evaluations of aircraft operational readiness, maintenance standards, and aircrew qualifications, in response to the incident involving its ATR 42-500 aircraft.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke issued this directive during a conference with departmental heads, air officers commanding, and other senior military officials.