NAF recovers cockpit voice recorder from crashed aircraft in Ondo

By Anthonia Okonkwo

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and part of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) from its ATR-42 aircraft which crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The development was disclosed on Friday by the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, in a statement detailing the progress of recovery operations at the crash site.

According to the statement, the Cockpit Voice Recorder was recovered intact, alongside part of the Flight Data Recorder, commonly referred to as the aircraft’s black box, while additional wreckage, engine components and human remains have also been retrieved.

However, the air force said recovery operations were continuing despite the challenging swamp terrain, with teams working to locate and retrieve the remaining sections of the aircraft, including the unrecovered portion of the flight recorder.

Meanwhile, the recovered components are expected to undergo technical examinations as part of the ongoing investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash, while the human remains are undergoing identification procedures.

The NAF also assured the public that the investigation would be conducted with due diligence and a commitment to obtaining comprehensive, evidence-based findings, adding that it remained in contact with the families of those who died in the incident.

The aircraft, identified as NAF 931, crashed on October 5, 2026, while operating a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos, killing all 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers.

The recovery of the cockpit voice recorder and part of the flight data recorder is expected to provide investigators with crucial information that could help reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments and determine the factors that led to the crash, as recovery operations and investigations continue.