Ghana Army Helicopter Travelling to Obuasi Goes Missing, Believed to Have Crashed
- A Ghana Armed Forces helicopter travelling to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region is believed to have crashed
- The army said the helicopter had gone off radar and is working to locate the missing aircraft
- The army statement said eight people were on board the helicopter, including five passengers
A Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) helicopter travelling to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region has gone missing.
The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the disappearance and said efforts were underway to find the helicopter.
Source: Getty Images
The army statement said eight people were on board the helicopter. That included three crew members and five passengers. There are fears the helicopter has crashed.
Channel One News shared photos of a suspected crash site. The photos showed evidence of burning debris from a helicopter.
The presidency is set to address a press conference on the matter amid speculation that some high-level government appointees were involved in the crash.
Previous army helicopter emergency
In March 2024, an Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing in Bonsokrom in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.
Eyewitnesses said the military helicopter with registration number GHF 696 was seen flying with its nose down.
Concerned residents chased after the helicopter to find out what was happening when it crashed into the bushes close to Bonsukrom.
Residents on-site quickly rushed towards the helicopter to help passengers amid the threat of an explosion.
Source: Getty Images
In a press release shortly after the incident, the Ghana Armed Forces said the aircraft had made an emergency landing in Bonsukrom.
The cause of the incident was not released. The passengers onboard the helicopter were staff of the Ghana National Gas Company and aircrew conducting a routine offshore powerline inspection of the Atuabo Gas Plant. All 21 passengers survived.
Before last year, in 2002, an air force helicopter crashed around Nkawkaw, Eastern Region, killing all seven people onboard.
In May 2014, a helicopter transporting personnel between Takoradi and an offshore oil platform crashed into the sea west of Cape Three Points. Three offshore rig workers died in that crash.
Eyewitness recounts army helicopter crash
YEN.com.gh reported that an eyewitness who was seen at the accident scene recounted how the crash occurred.
According to the individual, he and others discovered six bodies after arriving at the scene. He noted that some personnel from the Ghanaian military, the Local Assembly Member for Sikaman, and the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, had arrived at the crash scene to assess the situation.
He said the helicopter lost its balance as it hit a tree and a mountain before going down in flames in the thick forest in Adansi Akrofum.
Source: YEN.com.gh
