The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has questioned the source of weather information used by a Volta River Aviation (VRA) helicopter after a series of forced landings across the country.
The aircraft, with registration number 9G-AFW, made its latest emergency landing on Monday in the Adansi Afuokrom District, the same area where a tragic military helicopter crash claimed eight lives just six days ago.
This marks the third weather-related landing by the same aircraft in less than a week.
Previous incidents occurred in Ajumako in the Central Region on August 6 and in Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region on Sunday.
According to GMet Chief Forecaster Felicity Ahafianyo, the agency has no record of the aircraft or its operators requesting weather briefings from GMet, which is the only authorised source of aviation weather information in Ghana.
“I understand the VRA Aviation… we don’t have any details on them. They don’t take the weather forecast from us. So where are they getting their information from?” she asked.
The lack of registration with GMet raises concerns about the reliability of the data being used to guide flight decisions, especially under Ghana’s current unpredictable weather conditions.
These developments come amid national concern over aviation safety, following the recent military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight people, including the Defence and Environment Ministers.
GMet says it is ready to assist all aviation operators with accurate and timely weather forecasts, urging compliance with established safety procedures to prevent future incidents.
