Drunk pilot delay Ghanair flights

The management of the national airline, Ghana Airways, is investigating alleged intoxication by two pilots that cause the delay of a Ghanair flight from New York in May, this year.

The Ghanaian Chronicle?s investigation has it that as a result of the inquisition being made into the matter, plans have been hatched to remove two key management personnel in order to destroy the gravity of the allegation and suppress evidence. At least three persons whose names are being withheld by this paper have submitted their account of the event that unfolded that day to the investigators.

It happened on the 11th and 12th May, this year, when Ghana Airways Flight GH 161 was to depart New York?s JFK to the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). On Saturday 11 May, this year, a bus arrived at Holiday Inn, in New York City, at 08:30 hours, local time, to pick up the crew but realised that staff number 4674, Captain E.C.K. Dargbe, and staff number 5416, Flight Officer D.K. Amegasheie, were nowhere to be found.

An hour later, the two emerged in an intoxicated mood. In the bus to Baltimore, Officer Amegashie put up a strange behaviour that not suggested insanity, but also sent fear into the other crewmembers. He allegedly broke things in the bus and occasionally used the overhead compartment as a punching bag.

This compelled staff number 4162, Flight Engineer J.E. Antwi, to approach him to be abreast with his difficulties, if any, but Amegashie disgracefully shouted at the engineer. Other crewmembers, stewardesses Brachie and Brown, also had the rude shock of their lives when they attempted calming him. Similar treatment was meted out to them creating tension in the bus, causing some to decide not to travel with him the next day on the same flight, if his mood remained the same.

Barely 40 minutes in the bus, his behaviour forced the driver to park at a rest stop where the drunken officer allegedly hurled insults at the driver, accusing him of using an unfamiliar route and blaming Ghanair for staff woes. A stewardess was reported as mentioning to a colleague in the bus of the envious night drinking spree in the captain?s room.

Another account had it that on the day of the flight the two captains failed to turn up, even though other crew and passengers went to wait at the entrance of the aircraft. As anxiety began to set in, Engineer Antwi?s effort to locate both pilot and co-pilot proved futile for they could not be found in their various rooms.

He then announced that he was not in a position to say if the flight could come on or not, and was scared that the two pilots would return intoxicated just like the previous night and rest decided not to make the trip with the two crew members on the Sunday if they appeared drunk. The suspicion was heightened by a statement allegedly made by Amegashie at the lobby of the Inn Hotel, to the effect that, they would ?top it up.?

Then came Sunday 12 May, one officer, J. Annor-Manso called a Mr Swain to find out the time of arrival of the Accra flight and when confirmed left for the airport, checked in and went to the boarding gate for the door to be opened. Having waited for over one and a half hours without seeing the pilots, the crew and passengers were advised that they should go back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, they were asked to report at the airport because the pilots had arrived, complaining of heavy traffic and rain. Reports pertaining to this incidence have been submitted to the Head of Administration of Ghana Airways, Mr K. Amonoo.