Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said the pilot of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, may have prevented a greater disaster by steering the aircraft away from the community before it crashed into a swamp.

The ATR-42 aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed on Monday while on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos, killing all 25 people on board, including five crew members and 20 passengers.

Aiyedatiwa made the disclosure on Wednesday when he visited the crash site, where recovery operations were ongoing.

According to the governor, residents in the area told him the aircraft was initially heading towards the community before the pilot manoeuvred it away.

“From what the people told us, the aircraft was almost coming into the community, but the pilot managed to manoeuvre it away before it crashed about 200 metres from the community and went straight into the swampy area,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa also said residents reported hearing an unusual sound from the aircraft shortly before it went down, suggesting it may have developed an engine problem.

“It’s only the pilot that could have been able to tell the efforts put in place to be able to manoeuvre. Because people from the area could see the plane coming down, with a sound like a bad engine, almost landing within the community,” the governor said.

Recovery efforts entered the second day on Wednesday, with the swampy terrain making it difficult for rescuers to locate the main wreckage and recover the remains of those on board.

The governor described the crash site as a “very gory sight”, adding that personal belongings of NAF personnel and pieces of the aircraft had been recovered and preserved for investigation.

“The main body of the aircraft has not been sighted. It is believed to be submerged in the swamp,” he said.

He explained that thick mangroves, deep mud and murky water were hampering access to the area, while the cockpit and black boxes were yet to be found.

Aiyedatiwa said he had directed the Ondo State Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp buggies, to facilitate movement through the waterways and enable larger boats to get closer to the crash site.

He said the machines were also being used to excavate parts of the swamp in an effort to locate the submerged aircraft, while Navy personnel, divers and local residents continued the search in deeper sections of the water.

Highlighting the difficulty of the terrain, the governor said some parts of the area could reach depths of about 30 metres.

He further expressed concern over possible environmental pollution, saying aviation fuel was still leaking into the water as recovery operations continued.