The Nigerian Air Force has commenced an investigation into the military aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, as recovery teams battle difficult terrain to retrieve the wreckage and victims.

The Air Force also clarified that 25 people, including seven crew members, were aboard the aircraft, contrary to earlier reports suggesting that 32 people were on board.

A military source disclosed that a Board of Inquiry comprising aviation specialists had been activated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The source explained that the panel, traditionally headed by the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, was expected to work alongside the recovery teams, as evidence gathered during the operation would form part of the investigation.

The source told The PUNCH:

“A Board of Inquiry has been set up. Immediately after an aircraft crashes, we activate the board of specialists. The Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation is automatically the chairman of the board.

“It’s a permanent appointment. They have to be on the ground as they are recovering those things, because part of the recovery process forms part of the investigation.”

The source said the recovery team was facing difficulties retrieving the bodies due to the dense vegetation and difficult terrain at the crash site.

According to the official, a private construction firm had provided specialised floating equipment to clear the thick vegetation in the swamp before the recovery team could gain access to and extract the aircraft’s fuselage.

The source added:

“I don’t think they’ve recovered all the bodies yet. The aircraft is deeply submerged in the swamp and we are currently clearing the area. A construction company brought a floating buggy, or whatever it’s called. So, that’s what is clearing that path.

“Until we clear that part, we can look for what to use to lift the fuselage out of that swamp. It is going to take time before we can recover the bodies. The clearing operations remain ongoing at the site.”

The military official also dismissed speculation about the age and airworthiness of the aircraft, stressing that it was a relatively modern acquisition delivered around 2010 and had been properly maintained.

Also speaking to The PUNCH, the NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said a comprehensive investigation into the crash was already underway on the direct orders of the Chief of the Air Staff.

He said the service would rely on standard and established aircraft investigation procedures rather than an ad hoc panel.

According to Ejodame, the official findings would be made public after the preliminary report was concluded.

“The most important thing is that the Chief of Air Staff has directed a comprehensive investigation and the outcome of that one will be communicated. Whether it’s a board, committee, or a one-man army,” he said.

Clarifying the number of people aboard the crashed aircraft, Ejodame said the 25 souls reported on board included the seven crew members.

“For air traffic controllers, when they normally communicate ‘25 souls on board inclusive of seven crew’, it is minus the seven, the seven is in the 25. It doesn’t mean you add,” he explained.

He further clarified that five of the seven crew members were actively operating the aircraft, while the other two were crew members travelling as passengers.

“In this case, there were 25 souls on board: five were active crew, then two were passengers, but they are crew. So, there are seven crew on board reported, but only five were flying at that time. The other two were on board as passengers,” he said.