Former President of the Republic of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, has shared a harrowing private expertise of a near-fatal aviation incident, following the latest tragic helicopter crash within the Sahara Desert.
He revealed that the incident occurred throughout an official go to to Libya, whereas travelling with an entourage of 12 to 16 folks from Tripoli to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
Talking in an interview with Angel TV, Kufuor recounted the tense moments that almost price him his life.
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I do not forget that someday in 2007, had it not been for God’s intervention, I’d have been concerned in a aircraft crash over the Sahara Desert.
Based on him, the plane, which had simply departed after his assembly with the late Muammar Gaddafi, out of the blue struggled to achieve altitude.
Impulsively, over the desert, the aircraft couldn’t ascend. It had develop into heavy, and for nearly half-hour, it refused to achieve altitude. While you seemed down, all you might see was the desert. Eeeii! What was about to occur to us right here?
He mirrored.
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To intensify the stress, there was full silence from the cockpit.
The pilot remained silent, not speaking something to us
Kufuor remarked, describing the unsettling ambiance onboard.
The scenario worsened when passengers seen flight attendants swiftly transferring baggage in the direction of their seats, fuelling fears amongst these onboard.
In a decisive transfer, the pilot diverted the plane towards the Mediterranean Sea in an effort to take care of security.
The aircraft managed to manoeuvre and made a flip to align over the Mediterranean Sea, though it was nonetheless struggling to fly at the next altitude for practically an hour earlier than we lastly landed in Tripoli
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Kufuor defined.
Upon touchdown, the urgency of the scenario turned evident.
As we have been touchdown, we seen fireplace tenders and safety automobiles dashing throughout the airport tarmac. That was when the pilot confirmed that the aircraft couldn’t fly any increased, so he needed to return to Tripoli
He stated, recalling the scene.
The previous president famous the inherent dangers of diplomatic journey, stating,
I’ve witnessed one thing like this earlier than.
Following the incident, the delegation spent the night time in Tripoli earlier than persevering with their journey to Sudan in a alternative plane.
In mild of the latest helicopter catastrophe, Kufuor’s account stands as a poignant reminder of the risks public officers generally face within the line of responsibility.