More details are emerging of the March 16, 2026, helicopter crash that reportedly claimed the lives of two men in Tema Community One, a suburb of the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region.

The Defence Minister has stated that the helicopter involved is a microlight helicopter, which belongs to a group of private individuals. The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed the minister's statement and has even identified the registration number of the aircraft, which is 9G-ADV.

Below are key features of a microlight aircraft

A microlight aircraft (also called an ultralight aircraft in some countries) is a small, lightweight aircraft designed mainly for recreational flying, flight training, aerial photography and agricultural observation.

As the name suggests, the microlight helicopter is much lighter than conventional aeroplanes. Most microlights have a maximum take-off weight of about 450–600 kilograms, depending on regulations.

The microlight helicopter has a very small capacity and usually carries one or two people — a pilot and sometimes one passenger, as in the case at hand.

It has a very simple design with a minimal structure, often with a fabric wing and a small engine. Because of its make, the aircraft fly at lower speeds than regular aeroplanes. They also can take off and land from short runways or small airstrips.

There are different types of microlight aircraft, including fixed-wing microlights, which look like small aeroplanes with rigid wings. The same type was involved in the crash on Monday.

The other types are weight-shift (trike) microlights, which have a hang-glider style wing with a small engine and a wheeled carriage underneath, and powered parachutes, which use a parachute-like canopy and a motorised frame.

Deputy Defence Minister gives details of tragic Tema helicopter crash

Here the microlight plane was flying from

According to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, the helicopter crashed as it was flying from Accra to Kumasi at around 15:20.

The authority indicated that the last communication it had with the pilot of the helicopter was around 14:00.

Screenshots of social media posts of the helicopter, shared by TV3, suggest that it is about 25 years old.



Seen the screenshots below:







BAI

Meanwhile, watch as officials at TMA Day Care 3 speak following Tema helicopter crash:



Watch scenes from helicopter crash at Tema Community 1: