Kufuor Aborted Trip: More Information

Ghana's President John Agyekum Kufuor mid-air Saturday aborted his flight to Equatorial Guinea for an official engagement when the presidential jet conveying him and his delegation developed a technical problem.

The Fokker 28's air pressure system began failing 20 minutes after take-off from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, PANA reports, quoting the Ghana News Agency.

"This led to heat in the cabin, a condition aviation experts say could be disastrous," it was reported.

It said the pilots, Air Commodore Michael Sampson-Oje and Group Captain Emmanuel Obeng, on detection of the problem, quickly informed President Kufuor about it.

The only option was to return the aircraft to the ground.

The plane therefore made a detour and in 20 minutes, it landed safely in Accra.

Kufuor was invited by the government of Equatorial Guinea for the celebration of the country's 40 years of political independence and was billed to have returned to Accra Sunday.

The F-28 was bought in the late 1970s.

Former President Jerry Rawlings acquired a G3 presidential jet but Kufuor refused to use it, saying the acquisition was murky.

However, years of investigation for financial impropriety by the government were futile as no criminal act against the Rawlings administration was found and the plane was later disposed off by the government.

Kufuor's government has placed an order for two new jets, an action that has drawn the anger of Rawlings' National Democratic Congress which said the new planes were too expensive, among other criticisms.