Two dead as microlight aircraft crashes and bursts into flames near school in Tema

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed that the two individuals—both male—were retrieved from the wreckage and have been deposited at a morgue pending autopsy.

The aircraft, identified by its registration number 9G-ADV, went down at approximately 2:00 pm local time at the Oninku Drive School Park at Site 17, located dangerously close to the TMA Daycare facility.

Swift Evacuation Averts School Tragedy

In a dramatic turn of events, teachers and pupils from the nearby daycare and school complex evacuated the premises moments before the aircraft struck the ground and erupted in flames.

Divisional Officer II Ebenezer Yenzu, the Tema Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, revealed that emergency services received a distress call at 12:59 pm.

“We received a call… that there was an outbreak of fire at Community 1, Site 18. As we rushed to the scene, we got into the 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,” DOII Yenzu explained.

He confirmed the swift action of the school staff prevented further casualties. “By the time we got here, the teachers and the pupils had just evacuated the school and were on the street. None of the students, pupils, or teachers got injured.”

Emergency Response and Recovery

Firefighters from the GNFS, assisted by personnel from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA), launched a joint operation to douse the intense flames and secure the area.

After bringing the blaze under control, responders made the grim discovery of two bodies within the mangled wreckage of the aircraft. The remains were subsequently retrieved and handed over to the police for preservation and further investigation.

“We’ve been able to identify the number of the aircraft, which is 9G-ADV, but as to where it is coming from and the cause of the accident, we are still investigating it,” DOII Yenzu added.

Investigation Underway

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has officially launched an investigation into the incident. In a statement, the GCAA confirmed the aircraft was en route from Ho to Accra, with its last radio contact recorded at 14:18 Zulu time (2:18 pm local time).

The flight was estimating its arrival in Accra at 15:20 Z.

Security personnel have cordoned off the crash site at the school park as aviation experts move in to determine the cause of the fatal accident. The Assembly Member for the Kwesi Plange Electoral Area, Ahmed Abdullia, has also confirmed that no students were harmed in the incident.