Ondo crash: Witnesses revealed how pilot manouvered aircraft to avert higher casualties – Aiyedatiwa

Ondo crash: Witnesses revealed how pilot manouvered aircraft to avert higher casualties – Aiyedatiwa (1)

By Barnabas Olabisi

Akure

Ondo state governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Wednesday, visited the scene of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje local government area of the state, and directed the continuation of search and recovery operations for the victims and main wreckage of the aircraft.

Aiyedatiwa described the incident as a national tragedy, saying no survivor had been found at the crash site as of the time of his visit.

The aircraft, which was carrying NAF personnel on a special mission from Benin to Lagos, crashed in Igbokoda on Monday, triggering a major search and recovery operation involving the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, emergency management agencies and local residents.

The governor, who visited the difficult swampy terrain alongside military and emergency officials, said about 25 people were believed to have been aboard the aircraft.

He said the exact cause of the crash could only be established after the completion of investigations, stressing that the pilot would have been in the best position to explain what happened in the final moments of the flight.

Aiyedatiwa, however, said information from residents who witnessed the incident suggested that the aircraft may have been manoeuvred away from the community before crashing into the swamp.

According to him, the aircraft came down approximately 200 metres from the community, a development he said may have prevented an even greater civilian catastrophe.

The governor said witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to be experiencing difficulty before it crashed.

He said the pilot appeared to have made an effort to steer the aircraft away from the populated area before it eventually plunged into the swamp.

“Only the pilot could explain the effort made to manoeuvre the aircraft away from the community,” the governor said.

He added that if the aircraft had crashed in the middle of the community, the consequences could have been far more devastating.

However, the governor’s account of the aircraft’s final manoeuvre remains subject to confirmation by investigators examining the crash.