By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Some residents of the Bonsukrom community in the Ahanta West Municipality in the Western region who witnessed a helicopter crash landing have debunked claims by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) that the helicopter had an emergency landing and not crashed landed as it was reported.
According to eyewitnesses the Ghana Air Force helicopter indeed crash-landed near the community on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
The Ghana Air Force, in a statement issued on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 clarified that the incident was not a crash but rather an emergency landing in the community.
However, eyewitness present at the heavily guarded accident site told the media that the helicopter captured landing in the viral video was actually a rescue aircraft that arrived after the first helicopter crashed landed.
The eyewitness detailed that the downed helicopter was observed descending with its nose pointing towards the community, with one of its turbines nearly dislodging before ultimately crashing into the nearby bush.
“I saw the plane falling on its head. I thought it was coming to the park nearby, so I ran after it but it turned to the bush, where I saw that one of the turbines had disengaged from the plane and it fell down.
When we rushed there, one passenger came out of it, and we helped to rescue nine people until the military arrived and stopped us.” The eyewitness stressed
Pictures taken from the scene and published by an Accra-based Citi newsroom showed a heavily damaged helicopter
Meanwhile, all 21 individuals aboard the helicopter were successfully rescued.
