The Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana) has revealed that schoolchildren at Tema Day Care School mistakenly interpreted a pilot’s emergency signal as a friendly wave moments before a fatal microlight aircraft crash in Tema.
Presenting the Bureau’s final report on Tuesday, May 26, Head of Investigation Captain Paul Fordjour said the pilot flew the aircraft at a low altitude over the school field in an attempt to alert children playing there to move away and create space for an emergency landing.
According to investigators, the children failed to understand the pilot’s intentions and instead waved back at the aircraft while continuing their activities on the field, forcing the pilot to abort the landing attempt.
The report stated that during a second forced landing attempt, the aircraft lost control while banking to the left and eventually crashed within the premises of the Tema Day Care School near Oninku School Park in Community One.
Investigators further disclosed that the aircraft passed through trees, clipped part of the school’s roof and finally crashed into a tree near a dumpsite located between two school buildings.
The microlight aircraft, registered 9G-ADV, crashed on March 16, 2026, at the TMA Day Care Centre near the Oninku Drive Basic School in Tema Community One.