A Diamond DA42 aircraft (registration 5N-BNI), operated by the Aviation Training School, skidded off Runway 05 at General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, during a simulated instrument approach on 23 May 2025 at approximately 17:28 local time. The aircraft came to a stop on the grass area beside the runway. Both occupants were safely evacuated and taken to a medical facility, where they remain in stable condition.
The following day, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) initiated an on-site investigation. NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., visited the scene to oversee the initial assessment. He confirmed that the aircraft’s data card had been recovered and that investigators had commenced analysis.
Recovery operations placed the damaged aircraft on the left side of the runway, and the airframe has since been moved to the International Aviation College premises. Flight operations at the airport have resumed.
Captain Badeh Jr. stated that four specialists would remain on site to complete critical measurements before returning to Abuja. The data card will be analysed at NSIB’s transport safety laboratory, and a preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
Emphasising the Bureau’s commitment to a transparent and thorough process, Captain Badeh Jr. noted: “Our job is to determine what happened, to whom it happened, how it happened, and most importantly, how to prevent it from happening again.”
