NAF Crash: Military Chiefs Inspect Submerged ATR-42 As Recovery Operation Intensifies
Military authorities have stepped up efforts to recover the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft that crashed and became submerged in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, visited the crash site on Wednesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the recovery operation.
The aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed on Monday while undertaking a routine mission.
The military delegation was received at the Officers’ Mess of the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, by the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa, before proceeding to the crash area.
The officials also met with the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State Commissioners for Health and Environment, representatives of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nigerian Red Cross Society, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), security agencies and other stakeholders involved in the recovery effort.
Rear Admiral Mustapha conveyed the appreciation of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and other service chiefs to the Ondo State Government, host communities, emergency agencies and other stakeholders for their support since the incident.
He urged all parties involved in the operation to remain calm and maintain close cooperation with the agencies coordinating the recovery efforts.
The military chiefs and other stakeholders subsequently travelled by boat to the crash location to assess the situation and review ongoing efforts to locate and retrieve the submerged aircraft.
The delegation also inspected the swamp buggy launching point, where Rear Admiral Mustapha interacted with the technical crew and directed them to intensify efforts to ensure the aircraft and its contents are recovered as quickly as possible.
The recovery operation currently involves personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, emergency response agencies, security organisations, technical experts and other stakeholders working jointly to retrieve the submerged aircraft from the difficult swampy terrain.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, visited the crash site on Wednesday for an on-the-spot assessment of the recovery operation.
The aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed on Monday while undertaking a routine mission.
The military delegation was received at the Officers’ Mess of the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, by the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa, before proceeding to the crash area.
The officials also met with the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State Commissioners for Health and Environment, representatives of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Nigerian Red Cross Society, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), security agencies and other stakeholders involved in the recovery effort.
Rear Admiral Mustapha conveyed the appreciation of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and other service chiefs to the Ondo State Government, host communities, emergency agencies and other stakeholders for their support since the incident.
He urged all parties involved in the operation to remain calm and maintain close cooperation with the agencies coordinating the recovery efforts.
The military chiefs and other stakeholders subsequently travelled by boat to the crash location to assess the situation and review ongoing efforts to locate and retrieve the submerged aircraft.
The delegation also inspected the swamp buggy launching point, where Rear Admiral Mustapha interacted with the technical crew and directed them to intensify efforts to ensure the aircraft and its contents are recovered as quickly as possible.
The recovery operation currently involves personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, emergency response agencies, security organisations, technical experts and other stakeholders working jointly to retrieve the submerged aircraft from the difficult swampy terrain.
