According to him, the pilot tried to brave the obvious storm that the plane was caught up in.

The crash, which is said to have resulted in one injury, occurred after the aircraft skidded off the runway during its take-off run.

A statement from the Emergency Operations Centre of the Airport, said operations are continuing as normal as  investigation is carried out into the incident.

The statement, however, made no mention of the storm as stated by the Deputy Minister, who also said he saw five injured persons, contrary to the KIA’s claim that only one person got injured.

“As we were boarding the bus to the aircraft, I got a little concerned. I noticed the rains had started from afar approaching where we were parked” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo told Ghana Web.

Without making any definite statements on the matter, he said the pilot was probably trying to get airborne before the storm reached the airport.

“I am speculating that probably, the pilot tried to beat the oncoming clouds that were rolling in, and we taxied to the runway and the rain really caught up with us. So he stopped, prior to taking off proper, and I got more concerned because I could see that the rain was running down the windows very very fast when the plane was stationary, which signified to me that the wind was on the high side,” the minister recalled.

“When the pilot was about to take off, I said said to himself, wait a minute, is this guy going to take off in this weather?”

“A few seconds later after taxing, we were blown off the runway, literally, completely, for about 80 metres, and I think the plane rested on the perimeter fence,” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo said.

There was some panic within the aircraft at the time, and he said there were a few people screaming.

According to him, some five persons were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Previous Starbow incidents

In 2015, passengers on board a Tamale-bound Starbow airline, had the scare of their lives when the aircraft, BAE with registration 9GSBB, crash landed in Tamale although no injuries were recorded.

In 2014, two people were injured after a Takoradi bound Starbow aircraft made an emergency landing.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other stakeholders in the aviation sector, have often been criticized for not cracking the whip enough on these airline operators, hence putting the lives of passengers at risk.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Kevin Roper, 37, was driving a Walmart truck in 2014 when the crash happened, as the 30 Rock star and others were returning from a show.

Morgan was seriously injured and fellow comedian James McNair died.

Roper can avoid prison and a criminal record as part of his plea deal.

‘Move forward’
To do so, he needs to satisfy conditions including carrying out 300 hours of community service, according to his lawyer David Glassman.

“He is grateful for the opportunity to accept responsibility and move forward in doing what is required to obtain a dismissal of the charges pending against him,” Glassman told AP.

Roper entered the plea to second-degree vehicular homicide and four counts of third-degree aggravated assault at a New Jersey court.

The crash happened on the New Jersey Turnpike when Saturday Night Live star Morgan and his friends were returning from a performance given by Morgan in Delaware.

Morgan was left in a coma for two weeks and suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and head injuries. Three of the other passengers were also injured and McNair died.

The Walmart supermarket chain previously reached an agreement with Morgan and the children of McNair, 62, who grew up with Morgan in New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board carried out an investigation into the incident and concluded Roper had not slept for 28 hours before the crash, a finding disputed by his lawyer.

‘Loving and warm’
The safety board report said Roper had not slowed down sufficiently before the crash, despite warning signs of road works taking place on the turnpike.
It said the truck was doing 65mph in a 45mph zone before the crash happened.

But the board also said Morgan and his friend should have been wearing seat belts and their limo should have had adjustable headrests, which could have minimised their injuries.

Once out of hospital, Morgan said he had not found out about McNair’s death until he came out of his coma. He described the fellow comedian as a “loving” and “warm” man.

Morgan made his first public appearance after the accident in June 2015 and made a surprise appearance at the Emmys three months later.

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Source: BBC

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