NAF Begins Search for Black Box After ATR-42 Plane Crash in ondo

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  • The Nigerian Air Force confirmed it has started recovery efforts for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder of the ATR-42 that crashed in Igbokoda
  • A NAF standards official spoke at the crash site on Friday, saying the black box and CVR are among the critical components investigators are trying to locate
  • The Nigerian Navy deployed sonar equipment to the swampy crash site earlier in the week after murky water conditions made underwater visibility nearly impossible

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Ondo State - The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has started efforts to recover the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from its ATR-42 aircraft that came down in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

Ebimobo Ebiowe, NAF's superintendent of standards and evaluation, said investigators were combing through the wreckage for key components that could shed light on what caused the disaster.

NAF Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing on Farmland 2 Days After Ondo Plane CrashA Nigerian Air Force helicopter made a precautionary landing on Benue farmland after a combat mission, days after a fatal NAF aircraft crash in Ondo state.Adekunle Dada, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 08 Oct 2026
NAF says the recorders could help investigators establish what happened before the aircraft crashed. Photo credit: @northern_trendsSource: Twitter

As reported by TheCable, Ebiowe confirmed the development on Friday, October 9, 2026, during a visit to the crash site.

"We hope to be able to find critical components of the aircraft that will speak to the investigators because the aircraft wreckage actually speaks to the investigators," Ebiowe said.
"One of them is what the ordinary man (civilian) calls the black box. We call it the flight data recorder (FDR), and another component close to it, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR)."

What the Black Box and CVR Do

The FDR is an electronic device installed on aircraft to capture performance data and system readings throughout a flight. It is one of the primary tools used by accident investigators to piece together the events leading up to a crash.

The CVR records audio from the cockpit, including crew communications and ambient sounds that can help establish conditions at the time of an incident.

Tragic NAF Plane Crash: US Speaks, Sends Message to Families of 25 Deceased VictimsUS Mission in Nigeria offers condolences after an NAF plane crash killed 25 in Ondo, as Tinubu declares mourning and military investigators probe the cause.Oluwadara Adebisi, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews, 07 Oct 2026

Navy deploys sonar to aid the search

Recovery efforts at the site have been complicated by the difficult terrain. On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, directed the Nigerian Navy's hydrographic department to send personnel and advanced sonar-scanning equipment to Igbokoda.

Abbas said the move became necessary because the swamp's high turbidity had severely limited underwater visibility, making it difficult for divers to locate the submerged parts of the aircraft.

The sonar equipment is expected to provide an underwater picture of the crash area, helping recovery teams identify exactly where key wreckage, including the recorders, may be lying beneath the surface.

"Black box": NAF searches for ATR-42 recorders in murky waters after Ondo plane crashSource: Original

NAF releases names of 25 victims in Ondo plane crash

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the NAF confirmed that all 25 people on board NAF 931, including five crew members, died after the aircraft went down in Ondo State,

The ATR 42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area.

The Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke ordered a full investigation and opened a condolence register at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.