Tema Plane Crash: Aircraft Was Grounded for 22 Years and Only Started Flying Again in 2023

• A tragic crash in Tema has claimed two lives as the light aircraft they were travelling in caught on fire after crashing
• The GCCA confirmed the incident, indicating that the aircraft, with registration number 9G-ADV, was travelling from Ho
• Checks by YEN.com.gh indicate that the crashed plane had returned to flight in 2023 after being grounded for 22 years

Two people have reportedly lost their lives after an aircraft they were travelling on crashed in Tema on Monday, March 16, 2026.

The crash, which occurred at Oninku Park in Tema Community 1, resulted in security and emergency teams responding quickly.

Still, they could not do much to contain the situation as the aircraft, with registration number 9G-ADV, caught on fire.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) confirmed the crash in a press statement, stating that the light aircraft was flying from Ho to Accra.

See the press statement shared on Facebook below:

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Tema crashed aircraft grounded for 22 years

Following the identification of the crashed aircraft, it has emerged that the light plane was once grounded for 22 years and only resumed flights less than three years ago.

Checks by YEN.com.gh indicated that the aircraft is a 3I Sky Arrow 650, originally manufactured by Iniziative Industriali Italiane between 1992 and 2008.

A February 2023 Facebook post by Roberto Billia, the Managing Director of Gianair, a Ghanaian airline with operations in Accra and Obuasi, suggested that the aircraft had been grounded for the previous 22 years and had recently been restored.

He shared photos of the aircraft and a video with the caption:

"After 22 years, 9G-ADV is again airborne! WHAT AN EMOTION! Shortly, more video from Go-Pro."

The post suggests that the aircraft must have been grounded around 2001 until it was refurbished.

Earlier posts shared by Roberto Billia indicated that the rehabilitation of 9G-ADV had begun many months before.

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One of the older Facebook posts from January 2023 showed him and others standing beside the aircraft as they worked to restore it.

"Almost ready, after 21 years is almost ready to get in the sky once again. Yesterday, it had an inspection by GCAA to release the permit for the test flight."

From the above posts, the 9G-ADV was inspected by the GCAA and received a permit for its first test flight after the rehabilitation in January 2023.

The test flight happened in February, and it was subsequently certified.

At the time of this report, YEN.com.gh could not confirm whether the plane was under the ownership of Gianair or another airline, or was privately operated.

Tema plane crash follows Emmanuel Adjei's prophecy

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that Prophet Emmanuel Adjei had gone viral in the wake of the unfortunate Tema plane crash.

Videos showed him detailing a vision of an aircraft tragedy during an online prayer session, claiming strong winds were to blame.

Many believe that Prophet Adjei had accurately predicted the crash, with supposed footage of the plane's last moments trending.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh