AKURE, Nigeria — Air traffic control authorities have confirmed that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft dropped off radar tracking systems immediately after taking off from the Akure airport in Ondo State, leading to a catastrophic crash in the area.
The disclosure was made by a senior air traffic controller on duty at the time of the incident, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to address the media. According to the official, the aircraft established initial contact upon departure but lost all communications and transponder signals within minutes of clearing the runway.
“The flight was normal during the pre-taxing and takeoff roll,” the controller stated. “However, right after takeoff, as the pilot was instructed to contact the regional control center, the blip simply vanished from our radar screens. We attempted multiple radio callouts on all emergency frequencies, but there was only silence.”
Search and rescue teams, comprising NAF first responders, local emergency management agencies, and community volunteers, were deployed to the suspected crash site shortly after the alarm was raised. Debris from the aircraft has reportedly been located in a densely forested area a few kilometers outside the state capital.
Military authorities have cordoned off the crash site to secure the wreckage and preserve vital evidence. The Nigerian Air Force has launched a full-scale investigation to determine the exact cause of the system failure and subsequent crash.
Air Marshal officials stated that a formal briefing regarding the number of personnel on board and the operational mission of the flight will be released once next-of-kin notifications are complete. Meanwhile, aviation experts are calling for a thorough review of radar coverage and communication equipment within the regional airspace.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin City, the Edo State capital, to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13am, before it crashed into a swamp in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State.
As reported by The Tripod Times, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had disclosed that air traffic controllers informed him of the disappearance of the aircraft.
“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, enroute Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” Keyamo said.
He later confirmed that the wreckage had been located close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
