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NAF 931 spent nearly four years in Germany for maintenance before Ondo crash — Fact-check

Nurudeen Akewushola
Nurudeen Akewushola
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NAF 931 parked outside at Mönchengladbach with several parts, including the right engine, missing/ Source : Air History

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The NAF 931 aircraft that crashed in Ondo State on 5 October had spent almost four years at a specialist aircraft maintenance facility in Germany, where its right engine and other components were removed.

This is according to aviation records reviewed by The ICIR.

The aircraft, an ATR 42-500MP Surveyor with manufacturer serial number 800, arrived at Rheinland Air Service (RAS) in Mönchengladbach, Germany, for maintenance in January 2021. According to Military Aviation Spotting Germany, the aircraft was at the facility on January 25, 2021, while AirHistory later reported that it remained there with several components, including its right engine, removed. 

Rheinland Air Service was an established maintenance provider for ATR aircraft. ATR, the manufacturer of the aircraft, selected RAS as a member of its MRO network, with its Mönchengladbach facility specialising in heavy maintenance of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft.

JetPhotos photographed the aircraft at the same facility in June 2023.

NAF 931 at Mönchengladbach – EDLN Germany, Source: Jetphotos

The aircraft was still at Mönchengladbach on 20 September 2024, according to an aviation photograph, meaning it had remained in Germany for more than three years. Military Africa reported that NAF 931 finally returned to Nigeria in late December 2024.

The prolonged maintenance period is now an important part of the aircraft’s history, although it does not by itself establish that NAF 931 had a mechanical defect or that its maintenance contributed to the crash. The precise nature of the work carried out in Germany, the components replaced or overhauled, and the reason for the unusually long stay have not been confirmed by the authorities. The spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force did not respond to calls or messages to his line on 6 October, when The ICIR sought his reaction to these findings.

NAF 931 was not new to overseas maintenance. In September 2013, the aircraft was recorded arriving at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland for maintenance at the Air Contractors facility. AirHistory identified it as one of the two ATR-42s operated by the Nigerian Air Force in the maritime surveillance role. Additional photographs show the aircraft at Edinburgh in November that year, indicating that it remained there for at least several weeks.

Its international history goes back to its first year in service. According to Planespotters, NAF 931 was delivered to the Nigerian Air Force in March 2010. Its delivery flight took it from Turin-Caselle in Italy to Tamanrasset in Algeria on 30 March 2010.

Just months after entering service, the aircraft was already flying internationally. NAF 931 was photographed at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom in July 2010 by AirHistory and Airfighters.

The aircraft was part of a two-aircraft acquisition by the Nigerian Air Force from Italian aerospace manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica. NAF 930 was delivered in December 2009, followed by NAF 931 in March 2010, under a $73 million contract signed in 2007 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The contract included the aircraft, crew training and logistics support.

Both ATR-42s were configured for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, including maritime patrol, and can perform search-and-rescue and limited transport duties.

The sister aircraft, NAF 930, also underwent major maintenance at the RAS facility in Germany. It was sent there in September 2019 after completing about 5,000 hours of operations, including missions supporting military operations against Boko Haram, and returned to Nigeria in July 2020. NAF 931, however, remained in Germany for substantially longer.

That difference raises questions that are now relevant to the investigation into its recent crash. Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had said a possible technical or mechanical fault might have caused the aircraft to lose communication with the control tower shortly after taking off from Benin for Lagos.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on 5 October, hours after the crash, Aiyedatiwa said he did not believe bad weather was the likely cause, arguing that the aircraft would probably not have taken off if weather conditions had been poor at the time. He said the aircraft could have developed a fault while in the air, leading to the loss of communication.

The Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, also said air traffic controllers were unable to contact the aircraft by radio before information later confirmed it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

He said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board, while the wreckage had been located and search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.

Earlier, the NAF had confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

The ICIR reported that the aircraft had five crew members and 20 passengers on board

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Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.

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