Tema: Preliminary investigations into the microlight aircraft crash at a daycare centre in Tema indicate the aircraft attempted an emergency landing moments before it lost control and crashed, killing the two persons on board.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau (AIB Ghana) disclosed at a press briefing that there was no record of the pilot informing Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the emergency. Captain Paul Forjoe, Investigator-in-Charge, presented the preliminary report indicating that eyewitnesses observed the aircraft flying at a low altitude over Tema and attempting to signal children on a school park to vacate the area for an emergency landing.
During a subsequent attempt at landing, the aircraft was observed in a left bank attitude shortly before it lost control and impacted the ground. The microlight aircraft, registered 9G-ADV, crashed on March 16, 2026, within the premises of the TMA Day Care Centre near the Oninku Drive Basic School in Tema Community One. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries, with no casualties recorded on the ground.
Captain Forjoe noted that radar data showed the aircraft was tracked between 60 and 10 nautical miles from Accra, flying at altitudes between 3,400 feet and as low as 100 feet before the incident. Despite indications of distress, there is no record of the aircraft advising ATC of an intention to make an emergency landing or declaring an emergency.
The aircraft had earlier completed a flight from Accra to Ho without incident but later developed technical concerns. After refuelling at Ho with 20 litres of fuel, white smoke was observed emanating from the engine during taxiing after a local circuit flight. The pilot reported engine overheating and requested to return to land shortly after takeoff, conducted checks, and later departed again for Accra.
The aircraft was destroyed on impact and by a post-crash fire, sustaining severe structural damage that rendered it beyond economic repair, consistent with international aviation classification standards. On the aircraft's history, Captain Forjoe stated it was registered in Ghana in 1996, transferred to the Ghana Armed Forces in 2001, and returned to its owner in 2022. Since then, it had undergone maintenance, flight tests, and regulatory approvals by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.
The investigation, which began on March 17, is awaiting autopsy reports and further fieldwork before conclusions are drawn. Mr John Wumborti, Commissioner of AIB Ghana, emphasised that the report was preliminary and issued in line with legal requirements to update the public within 30 days. The full report, with findings and recommendations, is expected by May 29, 2026.
The investigation aims to determine causes and contributory factors to prevent future occurrences and not to apportion blame. AIB Ghana stated that the final report would include safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood of similar accidents.