News

Crashed NAF Aircraft: ‘We Found Body Of The Pilot Cut Into Half’

Published October 13, 2026 at 7:26 AM

Key Takeaways

Divers and rescue teams stepped up searches in Igbokoda, Ondo State, one week after a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 crashed into a swamp on October 5.
The crash happened in Ilaje Local Government Area headquarters and killed all 25 people onboard, as teams retrieved aircraft fragments and human remains that were hard to identify.
A swamp buggy operator said rescuers recovered half of the pilot’s body near a tyre, while technicians assembled flotation gear to keep amphibious excavators afloat during black box searches.

Divers and rescue personnel have stepped up efforts to recover the flight recorder and victims’ remains one week after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed into a swamp in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The ATR-42 aircraft went down on October 5 in the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, killing all 25 people on board.

According to Premium Times, recovery teams have retrieved fragments of the aircraft and human remains, with the condition of the remains making identification difficult.

During the newspaper’s visit on Monday, rescuers were still searching the muddy waters for the black box. The report said the team might have located the exact point where the aircraft crashed.

A swamp buggy operator involved in the operation said rescuers had recovered part of a body he identified as the pilot’s from a section of the aircraft near a tyre.

The operator, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said the force of the impact had severely fragmented the aircraft, reducing hopes of recovering intact bodies.

He said, “We found the body of the pilot, but it was cut in the middle and half of it is what was brought out.

“Apart from that, there have been little pieces of the plane here and there. We have little hope of finding anything like the main body because the impact shattered the plane to pieces.

“The place is deep, and much of it is muddy. We are now focused on finding the black box. That is the directive we have, and after we find it, I would not know what next will happen.”

At the riverbank, technicians were assembling flotation equipment for the swamp buggies, also known as amphibious excavators, to support further searches.

One technician explained that the attachments would help the machines remain afloat and navigate the difficult terrain.

“Today, we attached the floaters of a swamp buggy which was taken to the site for work. Once we are done with this one (pointing to the one under construction), the same thing will be done,” he said.