The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Yaw Brogya Genfi, has clarified that the aircraft involved in Monday afternoon’s fatal crash at Tema Community 1 was privately owned and not a military helicopter.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Deputy Minister Genfi said preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft was a microlight operated privately, addressing circulating claims suggesting a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter had crashed.

Expressing sympathy to the families affected, the deputy minister extended condolences on behalf of the Defence Ministry and the military high command. “We pray for the souls of the departed and extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the statement read.

Earlier reports confirmed that the aircraft crashed within the vicinity of Tema Community 1, prompting swift responses from local residents and emergency authorities.

Investigations into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

The incident has stirred memories of previous aviation tragedies in Ghana, including the crash of a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter in August 2025, which claimed the lives of all eight on board, including senior government officials, and the Atiwa Forest crash on 16 March 2002, which involved four military crew members, two patients, and a nurse from the 37 Military Hospital.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as investigations proceed to determine the cause of the crash.