Crew on helicopter emergency landing are safe -Ghana Armed Forces

The Ghana Armed Forces has said the four crew members and four military personnel on board the Ghana Air Force helicopter that performed emergency landing at Ganvuliga in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region were successfully recovered without fatalities nor injuries.

It said there were no civilians on board and no damage nor injuries to property and people on ground and that the landing site has since been secured and efforts were underway to recover the aircraft.

The incident happened while the crew were returning from Wa to Tamale, a statement signed by Colonel E Aggrey-Quashie, the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces and copied to the Ghana News Agency, has said.

It said the crew landed after observing a malfunction of the tail rotor system, which provides anti-torque and directional control to the aircraft.

The statement said the Kumbungu District Chief Executive and the local community were also providing the necessary assistance to the recovery team.

“A Preliminary Investigation Team (PIT) has been constituted and is currently on site to conduct a full assessment of the damage to the aircraft to allow a recovery to Air Force Base, Tamale,” it said.

It said the manufacturers of the aircraft, China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) based in China, and their local representatives, have been informed of the incident and were providing all the necessary technical support.

It said the aircraft was one of four helicopters that were delivered to the Ghana Air Force in 2015.

The statement commended the crew for their quick judgement and timely intervention for flying the helicopter to a safe emergency landing.

Source: GNA