The Nigerian Navy has deployed specialised sonar equipment to locate the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft that crashed and became submerged in the swampy terrain of Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The aircraft, identified as NAF 931, crashed on Monday, October 5, during a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos. The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that all 25 people aboard — 20 passengers and five crew members — died in the crash. The sonar equipment was deployed by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department following a directive from the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
The underwater survey is being conducted with side-scan sonar, technology that can produce a detailed image of the seabed or swamp floor and help determine the aircraft’s exact position.
According to reports from the recovery operation, high turbidity in the swamp has severely limited underwater visibility, making it difficult for divers to locate and access the wreckage through conventional visual searches.
Nigerian Navy divers and Nigerian Air Force drone operators are also supporting the operation, while specialised equipment is being used to search the surrounding mangrove and forested areas.
The sonar findings are expected to guide divers and technical teams as they plan the next stage of the recovery operation. Authorities are also preparing to deploy a swamp buggy to improve access to the difficult terrain around the crash site.
Military officials, including the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, inspected the crash site on October 6 as part of efforts to coordinate the recovery operation.
The recovery involves the Nigerian military, emergency response agencies, security organisations, technical personnel and other stakeholders.
The deployment of sonar marks a new phase in the search for the submerged aircraft as authorities work to recover the wreckage and its contents and support the ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash.
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