nvestigations into the fatal aircraft crash at the TMA Day Care School at Tema Community One are progressing steadily, with the final report expected to be released by May 29, this year, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana) has stated.
The bureau said it had completed the preliminary phase of the investigation and was currently awaiting critical inputs, including autopsy reports, to enable investigators to determine the exact causes and contributory factors to the accident.
At a press briefing in Accra yesterday, the Commissioner of AIB Ghana, John Wumborti, said the update formed part of the bureau’s obligation under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and Ghana’s Aviation laws to issue a progress report if a final report was not completed within one month of an accident.
“This is not the final report. We are satisfying the requirement of our law that says that after 30 days, if the final report is not ready, we should make the progress known to the public,” he said.
He said the investigation was not to apportion blame or establish liability, but rather to identify lessons and safety recommendations to prevent a recurrence.
Facts
The Investigator-in-Charge, Captain Paul Forjoe, said the commission constituted a formal investigation team made up of five investigators and three observers, while the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) also appointed two focal persons to work with the investigation team.
Italy, where the aircraft was manufactured, also appointed an accredited representative and an advisor to participate in the process.
Captain Forjoe said the investigation team used drone footage from the crash site, eyewitness interviews, CCTV footage, social media evidence, air traffic control transcripts, radar data, GCAA records on the aircraft and crew, previous employer records and internet-based factual information to gather information.
Departure
He said the aircraft departed Accra at 0645 UTC on March 16, this year, and landed safely at Ho Airport at 0757 UTC without incident.
After arriving in Ho, the pilot and his younger brother reportedly went into the township and later returned to the aerodrome with 20 litres of RON 95 fuel in preparation for the return journey to Accra.
Captain Forjoe said after refuelling, the aircraft undertook a local circuit flight with a friend who had met them at the airport.
During that flight, the friend occupied the pilot’s seat, while the pilot sat in the passenger seat behind him.
“After landing, white smoke was observed emanating from the engine as the aircraft taxied to its parking position,” he said.
He explained that about 15 minutes later, the aircraft taxied again for takeoff, this time with the pilot still seated behind and his younger brother in the pilot seat.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested clearance to land back at Ho Airport due to technical reasons.
Following the landing, the pilot reportedly indicated that the engine had overheated and conducted a visual inspection, particularly of the engine coolant system.
“The pilot indicated that the coolant reservoir level was satisfactory and no further defect was identified during this inspection,” Captain Forjoe said.
Take off again
About 30 minutes later, he said the aircraft took off again from Ho at 1337 UTC for the return flight to Accra.
Captain Forjoe said radar data later captured the aircraft flying at varying altitudes between 3,400 feet and 100 feet from about 60 nautical miles to 10 nautical miles from Accra, where the accident eventually occurred.
He said as the aircraft approached Tema, witnesses reportedly saw it flying unusually low over the township.
He said the aircraft was seen attempting to signal to schoolchildren who were playing in the Oninku School Park to vacate the field so it could make an emergency landing.
He said a post-crash fire immediately followed the impact, but the prompt response from emergency personnel prevented the flames from spreading to nearby structures, limiting damage to portions of the school grounds and part of the school building’s roof.
However, the two occupants were retrieved from the wreckage with fatal injuries.
Captain Forjoe said per their investigations, there was no record that the aircraft crew declared an emergency or informed Air Traffic Control of plans to make an emergency landing in Tema.
He said fuel sample tests had already been conducted, but medical and pathological reports, including the autopsy findings, were still pending.
“We continue to pray for the families of those who lost their lives that fateful day. We trust that the final report and its safety recommendations will help prevent a recurrence,” he said.
History of aircraft
He said the aircraft 9G-ADV was first registered in Ghana in 1996 and was used by the Sankofa Aeroclub at Afienya in the Greater Accra Region.
In 2001, it was transferred to the custody of the Ghana Armed Forces and in 2022, it was returned to its owner upon request.
He said that since its return, the aircraft had undergone several maintenance checks and flight tests, and had received GCAA authorisations.
On December 21, 2022, the aircraft’s engine was changed, and a Permit to Fly was issued.
He said its most recent major maintenance check was on December 31, 2025, followed by a GCAA inspection on January 14, 2026, to facilitate the issuance of another permit.
Captain Forjoe said a Flight Test Permit, ADV230, was issued in January 2026 and expired on January 26, 2026.
Subsequently, another flight test permit, ADV235, and a ferry flight permit, ADV236, were both issued on March 9, 2026, expiring on March 21, 2026, to authorise the relocation of the aircraft from Accra to Ho.
