Following the recent tragic incident involving a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State, attention has once again turned to the history of fatal military aviation disasters in Nigeria and the heavy toll such accidents have taken on the nation’s armed forces. The country has recorded several deadly military aviation……
Following the recent tragic incident involving a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State, attention has once again turned to the history of fatal military aviation disasters in Nigeria and the heavy toll such accidents have taken on the nation’s armed forces.
The country has recorded several deadly military aviation incidents over the decades, involving fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters and training aircraft. While some occurred during routine flights and training exercises, others happened during active military operations.
According to records from the Nigerian Air Force, international aviation databases and reports by Nigerian media organisations, several of these disasters resulted in multiple fatalities, including senior military officers and highly trained aircrew.
Here are some of the most notable fatal military aviation disasters recorded in Nigeria’s history:
Fatal Military Aviation Disasters in Nigeria’s History
1. 1980 — NAF Fokker F27 crash, Forcados, Delta State
On May 26, 1980, a Nigerian Air Force Fokker F27 Friendship crashed near Forcados in present-day Delta State while travelling from Lagos to São Tomé.
The aircraft was carrying a Nigerian delegation comprising government officials, Army officers and journalists. It encountered severe weather during the flight and crashed.
All 30 people on board died.
The accident remains one of the earliest major fatal disasters involving a Nigerian military-operated aircraft and one of the deadliest NAF accidents before the 1990s.
2. 1992 — NAF C-130 Hercules disaster, Lagos
The September 26, 1992 crash of a Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules remains the deadliest military aviation disaster in Nigeria.
The aircraft, NAF 911, crashed shortly after taking off from Lagos. According to accident records, the aircraft suffered multiple engine problems during the initial climb before losing control and crashing in a swampy area around Ejigbo.
All 159 people aboard were killed.
Most of those on board were military personnel, although civilians were also among the passengers. The victims included military personnel from Nigeria and several other African countries.
The scale of the tragedy made the 1992 crash one of the worst aviation disasters ever recorded in Nigeria.
Read Also: Navy Deploys Sonar Equipment To Recover Crashed NAF Aircraft in Ondo
3. 1997 — NAF Dornier 228 crash, Kaduna
On February 24, 1997, a Nigerian Air Force Dornier Do 128 Skyservant crashed during a local training flight near Kaduna Airport.
The aircraft went down during its final approach, killing all three crew members on board.
The accident occurred less than five months after another NAF Dornier 228 incident in Nguru, Yobe State, although nobody was killed in the September 1997 incident.
4. 2000 — NAF Dornier crash, Warri
On October 26, 2000, a Nigerian Air Force Dornier aircraft crashed while approaching Warri Airport in Delta State.
The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near a refinery area around Jeddo.
All six people on board were killed. Five of the victims were Nigerian Army officers.
5. 2002 — Joint Task Force helicopter crash, Jos
On March 14, 2002, a helicopter belonging to the Joint Task Force crashed at Kabong in Jos, Plateau State.
The crash claimed the lives of everyone on board, including four senior police officers.
The incident was among the significant military/security aviation disasters recorded in the early 2000s.
6. 2006 — NAF Dornier 228 crash, Benue State
On September 17, 2006, a Nigerian Air Force Dornier 228 transport aircraft crashed near Vandeikya in Benue State while travelling from Abuja towards Obudu.
The aircraft was carrying 18 people — 15 passengers and three crew members — including several senior military officers.
Thirteen people died, while five survived. Among those killed were several high-ranking military officers, including 10 senior officers according to contemporary reports.
The tragedy became particularly notable because of the number of senior military personnel aboard the aircraft.
7. 2015 — NAF Dornier 228 crash, Kaduna
On August 29, 2015, a Nigerian Air Force Dornier 228, NAF030, crashed shortly after taking off from the Kaduna Military Airfield.
The aircraft was heading towards Abuja when it went out of control during its climb and crashed into a house in Ribadu Cantonment, Kaduna.
All seven people aboard — including two pilots, two engineers and three passengers — were killed. No person on the ground was reported killed.
8. 2015 — NAF F-7Ni fighter jet crash, Adamawa
On October 10, 2015, a Nigerian Air Force F-7Ni fighter jet crashed in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State while returning to base from an interdiction mission.
The aircraft, NAF801, went down amid bad weather.
The pilot died in the crash.
The incident was significant because it occurred during the period when the Nigerian military was heavily engaged in counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram.
9. 2018 — Two NAF F-7Ni jets collide, Abuja
On September 28, 2018, two Nigerian Air Force F-7Ni fighter aircraft collided in mid-air around Katampe Hills in Abuja.
The aircraft were rehearsing for Nigeria’s 58th Independence Day celebrations.
The pilots ejected from the aircraft, but one pilot later died from injuries sustained in the incident.
The crash destroyed both fighter jets.
10. 2019 — NAF Mi-35M crash, Damasak
On January 2, 2019, a Nigerian Air Force Mi-35M attack helicopter crashed near Damasak in Borno State while providing close air support to troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents.
The five crew members aboard the helicopter were killed.
The NAF said the aircraft was involved in an ongoing counter-insurgency operation in the North-East when the incident occurred.
The five victims were later buried at the Military Cemetery in Abuja.
11. 2021 — NAF King Air crash, Abuja
On February 21, 2021, a Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft King Air 350i crashed shortly after taking off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The crew reported an engine failure and attempted to return to the airport, but the aircraft crashed during the approach.
All seven people aboard were killed. They were NAF personnel involved in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations connected to efforts to rescue students and staff abducted from Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.
12. 2021 — NAF Alpha Jet crash, Sambisa Forest
On March 31, 2021, a Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet conducting operations in Borno State disappeared from radar.
The wreckage was later located in the Sambisa Forest.
The two pilots on board remained unaccounted for and were subsequently presumed dead.
Unlike many other crashes, the aircraft was lost during an active counter-insurgency operation, making the incident particularly difficult to investigate and recover.
13. 2021 — NAF King Air crash, Kaduna
On May 21, 2021, another Nigerian Air Force Beechcraft King Air 350 crashed near Kaduna International Airport.
All 11 people aboard were killed.
Among the victims was the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, along with other senior military officers and members of the flight crew.
The crash triggered a joint investigation involving the Nigerian Air Force and the Accident Investigation Bureau, with an interim report later submitted to the Chief of Air Staff.
It remains one of the most consequential military aviation disasters in Nigeria because of the death of the serving Army chief.
14. 2022 — NAF Super Mushshak trainer crash, Kaduna
In April 2022, a Nigerian Air Force Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed at the NAF training facility in Kaduna.
The two pilots on board died.
The incident occurred during a training flight and added to concerns about losses involving Nigeria’s military aviation fleet.
15. 2023 — NAF Mi-171 helicopter crash, Niger State
On August 14, 2023, a Nigerian Air Force Mi-171 helicopter crashed near Chukuba village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The helicopter had departed Zungeru Primary School on a casualty evacuation mission and was later discovered crashed in the area.
Eleven people were killed in the disaster, making it one of the deadliest Nigerian military aviation accidents in recent years.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of intensified military operations against armed groups in parts of Niger State.
16. 2026 — NAF ATR-42 crash, Igbokoda, Ondo State
The latest major tragedy occurred on October 5, 2026, when Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft NAF 931 crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State.
The aircraft was conducting a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when contact was lost.
The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that 25 people — five crew members and 20 passengers — were aboard and that there were no survivors.
The crash prompted President Bola Tinubu to declare three days of national mourning and order an investigation into the cause of the accident.
The ATR-42 disaster has also become one of the deadliest military aviation accidents recorded in Nigeria in recent decades.
