NAF recovers more components from Ondo crash site

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recovered extra aircraft components from the crash site of its ATR 42-500 in Igbokoda, Ondo State, as multi-agency teams persist in search and recovery operations. In a statement on Wednesday, the Air Force highlighted that specialist divers from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) are intensifying underwater search and recovery efforts in tandem with the NAF's own team.

The recovery process entails hydrographic surveys, satellite-based search-and-rescue imagery, mud excavation, and pumping out surplus water to access hard-to-reach areas. These teams are operating around the clock to identify and recover essential materials for documentation and preservation, aiding the ongoing investigation. "Additional aircraft components have been recovered as efforts continue to locate and retrieve relevant materials for documentation and preservation in support of the ongoing investigation," the statement emphasized.

This development follows the persistent efforts of investigators to gather evidence from the crash site to aid the accident inquiry. The Nigerian Navy's specialist divers and the NSIB are collaborating with the NAF recovery team to extract materials from both submerged and challenging zones of the site.