Accident Investigation Group commences work on plane crash
The Accident Investigation Group (AIG), which was commissioned on Sunday to investigate the air crash which killed ten people on Saturday, has begun its work.
The investigation team was set up following the crash of an Allied Air cargo aircraft on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at the Kotoka International Airport.
In accordance with Ghana Civil Aviation Act 678 and the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) processes in the conduct of aircraft accident investigation, the committee would establish the cause of the accident, determine the extent of fatalities and injuries, establish the extent of loss or damage to property, consider any other issues relevant to safety and make recommendations to forestall any future occurrences.
They are expected to present a report on the matter within 30 days.
This was contained in a press release from the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), in which it also acknowledged the important role of the media in providing information to the public. It however cautioned the media to be circumspect in further discussions on the matter and to desist from speculations until investigations are over and the report out so as not to misinform the general public.
Meanwhile, the road between the El-Wak traffic lights and the Burma Camp Shell filling station, which was closed after the crash was opened to vehicular traffic around 16:00 hours and will remain open.
It is however not open to pedestrians to enable the security personnel still at the scene of the accident to secure it for investigations.
In a related development, representatives from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have met with the Emergency Operations Centre. They were accompanied by Mr Valentine Tongo, the Chief Executive Officer of Allied Airlines and some representatives of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.
The meeting was in response to the accident involving the Nigerian cargo airline which was enroute from Lagos-Accra to Abidjan and overshot the runway on landing.
Eng. Kayode, the representative of the NCAA Director-General expressed the willingness of the NCAA to help with the on-going investigations and apologized for the inability of Dr Harold Demuren, the Director-General of the NCAA, who was initially scheduled to come but could not make it as a result of the air crash in Lagos, Nigeria involving Dana Airline, which killed 153 passengers and many others on the ground.
They also expressed their sympathy for the unfortunate loss of lives in the Accra crash.
Mrs Doreen Owusu-Fianko, Chairman of the Emergency Operation Centre and the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited welcomed the team and stated that investigations were well under way.
Members of the crew of the aircraft have since been discharged from the Airport Clinic.
Source: GNA