Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 600 in Accra: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 2000 at 1135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
G524
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tamale - Accra
MSN:
10535
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
GH200
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
44
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a schedule service (flight GH200) from Tamale to Accra on behalf of the Ghana Air Force. On final approach to Accra-kotoka Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. In a nose down attitude, the aircraft landed hard on runway 21, nose first. Upon impact, the aircraft broke in two and came to rest. Seven passengers were killed while several others were injured, some seriously.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DL in Takoradi: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1969
Operator:
Registration:
9G-AAF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Accra - Takoradi
MSN:
9407
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
30
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On final approach to Takoradi Airport, both engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot-in-command elected to make an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed few km short of runway threshold. A passenger was killed while few other passengers were wounded, some of them seriously.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the engine failure remain unclear but the assumption that it was caused by a fuel exhaustion or by a contaminated fuel was not ruled out.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 off Mpouya

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
YK-AAR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Accra – Léopoldville
MSN:
43097
YOM:
1947
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a cargo flight from Accra to Léopoldville, the crew encountered technical problems with the engines and elected to make an emergency landing. Eventually, the captain decided to ditch the aircraft in the Congo River off Mpouya, about 230 km northeast of Léopoldville. While the aircraft sank and was lost, all 14 occupants were rescued.
Probable cause:
Engine problems.

Crash of a Lockheed L-049 Constellation in Sanoyie: 40 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1951 at 0325 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N88846
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Johannesburg – Léopoldville – Accra – Monrovia – Lisbon – Horta – New York
MSN:
2046
YOM:
1946
Flight number:
PA151
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
34
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
40
Captain / Total flying hours:
7818
Captain / Total hours on type:
426.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5134
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2776
Aircraft flight hours:
13343
Circumstances:
Pan American's Flight 151 departed Johannesburg at 0812, June 21, and after a routine flight and scheduled stop at Léopoldville, Belgian Congo, arrived at Accra, Gold Coast, at 2125. Following a mechanical delay which required the changing of several spark plugs and a set of magneto points, the flight was dispatched and cleared to Roberts Field, Monrovia, on an instrument flight plan at 16,500 feet with Dakar, French West Africa, and Accra as alternates Take-off from Accra was at 2352Z. The gross weight at departure was 89,255 pounds, including cargo, mail, 3,340 gallons of fuel, 31 passengers, and a crew of nine. The gross weight of the aircraft and distribution of the disposable load were within the allowable limits. The en route communication system of the flight sector between Accra and Roberts Field is high frequency radio-telephone utilizing ground stations at Accra and Roberts Field as primary guarding stations Normal communication with these two stations was maintained as Flight 151 progressed westward after departing Accra. The flight proceeded in a routine manner, climbing to 16,500 feet MSL in accordance with the flight plan. At 0057 a position report was given over Abidjan, 258 miles west of Accra, and arrival over Cape Palmas, Liberia, 265 miles farther to the west, was estimated as 0156. At 0156 Flight 151 reported over Cape Palmas at 16,500 feet MSL, on instruments, and estimated arrival at Roberts Field as 0246. (A plantation employee in the Cape Palmas area stated that he beard an airplane inland and very high at approximately 0220, that the moon was bright and the sky was clear at the time. Since no other aircraft was known to have been in the area, this is presumed to have been Flight 151). At 0220 Flight 151 requested clearance to descend. Roberts Field radio cleared the flight to descend to 3,000 feet and advised that at 0225 the Roberts Field tower would establish contact on VHF A clear two-way contact was made at 0225 on 118.1 mcs, at which time the tower gave the flight the local weather and altimeter set-ting, cleared it to descend IFR over Roberts Range Station, and indicated that Runway 05 was in use. At 0237 Flight 151 was again given local weather for Roberts Field cloud base estimated 1,000 feet, broken, light drizzle and haze, visibility 3 miles. At 0241 the local wind was given as W-WNW variable 7 miles per hour All of these messages were acknowledged. At 0255, nine minutes after its ETA at Roberts, Flight 151 was heard calling Roberts Field on VHF 118.1 mcs. The tower responded, repeating the call three times. There was no indication that the aircraft heard the tower, whereupon the tower switched to 3270 kcs and requested the flight to give its current position. There was no reply to this call. Immediately following failure of the aircraft to respond to Roberts tower on 3270 kcs, the Roberts Field high frequency radio-telephone facility established contact advising the flight that they were unable to read it on 118.1 mcs and that the flight should reply to the tower's call on 3270 kcs. This message was acknowledged at 0301. At 0305 the flight again contacted Roberts tower on 3270 kcs advising that the Dakar radio beacon was interfering with the Roberts Field radio beacon and that they would "be back in 15 minutes" Roberts tower advised Flight 151 that Dakar would be requested to turn off the beacon and this message was acknowledged (Because of incoming traffic to Dakar, the beacon there was not turned off until 0410) At 0315 Flight 151 again called Roberts tower on 3270 kcs and the latter transmitted the latest weather. The flight did not acknowledge this transmission on 3270 kcs but called Roberts tower on 118.1 mcs Roberts tower then replied on 118 1 mcs but received no acknowledgement. Thereafter, the tower repeatedly called Flight 151 on both 118.1 mcs and 3270 kcs, requesting the aircraft's position and broadcasting the weather However, the incomplete contact at 0315 was the last transmission received from the flight. The wreckage was found a day later near the village of Sanoyie, about 91 km northeast of Monrovia-Roberts Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 40 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the action of the captain in descending helm his en route minimum altitude without positive identification of the flight's position. The following finding was pointed out: the aircraft never overheaded the Roberts Field range station and a let-down was made without positive determination of the flight's position.
Final Report:

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax VI in Pointe-Noire: 18 killed

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1949 at 1238 LT
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paris – Rabat – Dakar – Accra – Pointe-Noire
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Captain / Total flying hours:
450
Circumstances:
For undetermined reason, the landing at Dakar-Yoff Airport was a little bit rude and the aircraft should be grounded for four days to repair the tail gear. After an uneventful fuel stop in Accra, the crew continued to Pointe-Noire but encountered poor weather conditions upon arrival. The visibility was bad and the ceiling was about 100 meters. On final approach, the aircraft was too far to the right of the centerline so the pilot in command made a sharp turn to the left when control was lost. The aircraft crashed in flames and was destroyed. All 18 occupants were killed, among them military personnel, civilians, women and children.
Crew (Groupe de Transport GT I/25 Tunisie):
Lt Cornette, pilot,
Cpt Pinson,
Asp Desgourgues,
Adj Carayol,
Sgt Escudie,
Sgt Rivaud,
Sgt Cullion.
Passengers:
Dr. Stéfanopoulo from Pasteur Institute,
Col Cordier,
Cdt Delair,
Mrs Sokoloff and her three children,
Mrs Lagrange.
Mrs Cécile Idrac 2.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-28-DK off Sassandra: 21 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1945 at 0920 LT
Operator:
Registration:
44-76406
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Accra - Monrovia
MSN:
15990/32738
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a flight from Accra to Monrovia with members of the USAF female corps on board, on behalf of the Air Transport Command. While flying along the shore, the crew sent a brief mayday message when the aircraft dove into the sea and crashed nose down by 45° angle. All 21 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Alfred R. Ellis,
F/O Robert E. Mulhern ,
Cpl George A. Shiffman.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando near Accra: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-3655
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
26788
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Few minutes after take off from Accra Airport, while climbing, the C-46 collided with an unidentified aircraft and crashed 6 miles southeast of the airfield. At least one crew member was killed on board the Commando.
Crew:
1st Lt Arthur Gartenberg.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster in Accra: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-37292
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3083
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff for unknown reason and came to rest in flames. At least one crew member was killed.

Crash of a Martin B-26A-1 Marauder near Accra

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FK116
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
7384
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Accra. Crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express in Accra: 10 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1943 at 0114 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-24140
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
935
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off, while in initial climb by night, the four-engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion 4 km north of the airfield. All ten occupants were killed.