Story by George Yawson Vineh
Two people have been confirmed dead after a microlight aircraft with registration number G9-ADV crashed and burst into flames at Tema Community One in the Greater Accra Region on Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred at TMA Daycare, Site 18 near the Oninku Drive School Park of Tema Community One in the Greater Accra Region sending shockwaves through residents and passers-by who witnessed the crash. Emergency responders from the Ghana National Fire Service and other agencies were quickly dispatched to the scene to contain the situation.
According to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the two-seater microlight aircraft was on a domestic flight from Ho to Accra when the accident occurred. Authorities said radio contact with the aircraft was lost shortly before the crash.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the aircraft came down within the compound of a school park at Site 17 in Tema Community One, triggering panic among residents and students nearby. Thick smoke was seen rising from the wreckage after the aircraft caught fire.
Emergency teams later recovered the bodies of the two occupants from the wreckage. Initial reports suggest the victims were the pilot and a trainee who were on board the small training aircraft.
On his social page, Deputy Defence Minister Honorable Briggs Genfi says the crashed aircraft was privately owned and not operated by the Ghana Armed Forces, dismissing speculation circulating shortly after the incident.
Meanwhile, aviation experts say it is too early to determine the exact cause of the crash, stressing that a full investigation will be conducted by relevant aviation authorities to establish what led to the accident.
Divisional Officer II Ebenezer Yenzu, the Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, told journalists that firefighters received a distress call at approximately 12:59 pm.
“We received a call around 12:59 that there was an outbreak of fire at Community 1, Site 18. And so as we rushed to the scene, we got into the Daycare, TMA Daycare and realised that there was a blazing fire involving a chopper that had fallen just close to the wall of the pre-school,” Mr Yenzu explained.
By the time emergency personnel arrived, teachers and pupils had already evacuated the school compound and gathered safely on the street.
Acting Commissioner for the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevent BureauJohn Mmeb Kunyan Womborti, says they have since secured the crash site while investigations continue.
What is microlight aircraft:
Aircraft often known as “microlight” are designed with not more than two seats and which have Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) not exceeding: 300 kg for a single-seater land plane. 250 kg for a single-seater sailplane.
Types are; Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, drones, rotorcraft (including helicopters), airships (including bumps), gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.
Dues to it’s lightweight and simple construction, they are cheaper to buy and operates than conventional aircraft, but they are also more sensitive to weather conditions such as strong winds and it’s mostly used for;
Recreational flying
Flight training
Aerial photography
Agriculture observation
The bodies are retrieved and sent to the morgue for preservation and autopsy.