Ghana military helicopter missing

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on today said a medical evacuation helicopter with seven crew and passengers has gone missing in the Eastern Region

A COMBINED team of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the police has launched a massive air and land search operation for a Ghana Air Force helicopter which was feared missing in the Atiwa Forest in the Eastern Region on Saturday morning. The seven people on board the aircraft are also feared dead.

The team, involving hundreds of troops, is led by the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of the GAF, Brigadier J. B. Danquah and is operating from Bomaa, Asiakwa and Sagyimase in the Akyem area.

According to Brig. Danquah, the helicopter was on a medical evacuation mission to airlift two officers of the GAF who were involved in an accident at Akyem Sekyere. They were on admission at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw.

The aircraft, which left Nkawkaw for Accra between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Saturday, is suspected to have crashed into a mountain in the Atiwa Range or into a tree in the dense forest in the area.

Local residence said there was heavy mist in the early hours of Saturday when the aircraft flew over the Bomaa township.

They said although they heard the sound of the aircraft, it was not discernible in the heavy mist. The residents said, however, that minutes after the helicopter had flown past, a heavy sound was heard and nothing was heard thereafter.

Sources close to the search team said the operation started around 10 a.m. on Saturday when military authorities noticed the disappearance of the aircraft. It was suspected to have a four-member crew — the pilot, the co-pilot and two technicians. Also on board was a nurse and the two patients who were being flown to the 37 Military Hospital.

Despite the close to 40 hours search, neither the aircraft nor any of its passengers has been sited around the area.

Around mid-afternoon yesterday, information got to the search team that a farmer had spotted the aircraft and its passengers on a farm around Abomosu.

Brig Danquah and the leader of the search team, including a deployment of police personnel from Koforidua, dashed to the area but it turned out to be a hoax.

So far, three platoons of military men are combing the forest from the West to the East and have drawn up a quadrangle in the forest with vortex at Ampapabi, Sagyimase and Bomaa.

According to Brig Danquah, the people of the area have been of much support to the search team with the chiefs providing a number of Asafo men to assist the military to carry out the operations.

He said additional two platoons from the Northern Command have joined the team and are searching the hills and valleys that make up the undulating landscape of the Atiwa Forest. He said the nature of the terrain makes the operation very difficult.

“Most often, we have to rely on the local people. I am happy to say that this is a clear demonstration of the military-civil relationship.”

He said at the moment, three platoons from the Northern Command, two from the Air Force, three from the Southern Command and a deployment of the police personnel with about hundred Asafo men are conducting the search operations.