The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has constituted a 12-member specialist Aircraft Accident Investigation Board to determine the cause of the fatal crash involving its ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931, in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The board will investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident, identify possible contributing factors and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, who said the Service was also intensifying search and recovery operations following the October 5, 2026, crash.
According to Ejodame, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, had directed sustained efforts to support recovery operations and ensure a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy.
The Air Force chief, he said, was committed to establishing the facts surrounding the accident and determining the circumstances that led to the crash.
The statement added that Air Vice Marshal E.O.E. Ebiowe, head of the Investigation and Recovery Team, was coordinating the broader response, while Air Vice Marshal F.O. Ankeli had been appointed president of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board.
“This arrangement ensures a coordinated approach to recovery operations alongside a structured, specialist investigation into the circumstances of the accident,” Ejodame said.
The 12-member board comprises personnel with specialised experience in aviation operations, flight safety, piloting, air traffic control, aircraft engineering, maintenance, medical services ,and other relevant technical fields.
Representatives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) are also part of the board, bringing additional civilian aviation expertise to the investigation.
The NAF said the multidisciplinary composition was designed to ensure that the probe was thorough, objective ,and credible, in line with established aviation safety procedures.
The board is expected to examine relevant operational and technical factors, as well as environmental conditions and other circumstances that may have contributed to the accident.
Its findings are expected to provide the basis for recommendations aimed at strengthening aviation safety and reducing the risk of similar tragedies.
Meanwhile, the Air Force expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the incident, as well as their colleagues and others affected by the tragedy.
Ejodame said the Service remained committed to supporting the ongoing search and recovery operations while pursuing a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The NAF maintained that the investigation would focus on establishing the facts and identifying lessons that could help prevent a recurrence.
