What we know about Nigerian military aircraft that fatally crashed Monday

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has identified the crashed aircraft on Monday in Igbokoda, Ondo State, as an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft configured for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.

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The NAF said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos when it crashed in a swampy area of the community. It said it immediately activated search and rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred,” said Ehimen Ejodam, the NAF director of Public Relations and Information.

The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, later disclosed that 32 people were on board the military aircraft. The presidency also released a statement indicating that all 32 people (25 passengers and seven crew members) were dead.

Open-source checks by PREMIUM TIMES show that until Monday’s crash, Nigeria operated two ATR-42-500MP aircraft, identified as NAF 930 and NAF 931. Both aircraft were configured primarily for maritime patrol and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. They can also perform search-and-rescue and limited transport duties.

The aircraft are operated by the NAF’s 81 Air Maritime Group based in Benin City, Edo State, and have also been deployed for military operations in the North-east.

The ATR-42s are fitted with surveillance equipment, including search radar and electro-optical sensors, which enable them to gather intelligence and monitor activities over land and Nigeria’s maritime domain.

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NAF took delivery of the two ATR-42 aircraft from the Italian aerospace firm, Alenia Aeronautica, as part of a contract signed with the firm in March 2007.

The NAF received its first ATR-42, NAF 930, in December 2009 as part of a $73 million March 2007 deal with Alenia Aeronautica that included the delivery of two aircraft, crew training and logistics support. The second, NAF 931, was delivered four months later, in March 2010. The two aircraft are, therefore, at least 16 years old.

Installation and maritime patrol configuration of the NAF 930 were carried out at the Alenia facilities in Caselle in Italy before it was delivered to Nigeria. However, ten years after deployment and after completing 5,000 hours of operation supporting military operations, including against Boko Haram, the aircraft was sent to the Rheinland Air Service (RAS) facility in Germany in September 2019 for major maintenance and returned to Nigeria in July 2020.

The aircraft involved in the crash

The aviation minister identified the aircraft involved in Monday’s crash as NAF 931, the second aircraft in the 2007 deal.

PREMIUM TIMES found that the NAF 931 was also sent to the RAS facility in Germany for maintenance in 2022 and returned to Nigeria in late 2024.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Aircraft Crash: All 32 passengers, crew believed dead, Tinubu mourns

Mr Keyamo said air traffic controllers could not establish radio contact with the aircraft after it disappeared at about 9:13 a.m. after it commenced its Monday flight.

“I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route from Lagos to Benin at 0913 hours earlier today,” the minister said.

The president’s statement on Monday has now indicated that all 32 people (25 passengers and seven crew members) on board the aircraft died in the crash.

The identities of the victims have not been made public, but the presidency indicated that they were mostly military personnel.