Passengers Recount Harrowing Mid-Air Ordeal on PassionAir Flight

By Gifty Boateng

A routine domestic flight from Kumasi to Accra turned into a terrifying near-death experience for passengers on board a PassionAir aircraft on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with former Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Chief Executive Henry Kwabena Kokofu describing the incident as one that only divine intervention saved them from.

The flight carried several high-profile passengers, including Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene and popular actor Kwadwo Nkansah, known in entertainment circles as Lil Win.

According to Dr Kokofu, the aircraft had been delayed by approximately 30 to 40 minutes before departure due to what passengers were told was an operational challenge. The flight eventually took off from Kumasi at about 4:00 p.m., but within five to ten minutes of becoming airborne, passengers heard a loud noise and experienced a sudden, alarming drop in altitude.

He likened the sound to a vehicle crashing into a wall, insisting the incident went far beyond the ordinary turbulence travellers sometimes encounter. The aircraft, he said, had climbed to a considerable height before suddenly dropping, creating what he described as a free-fall experience.

The frightening development triggered panic among passengers, with many praying and reciting passages from the Bible and Quran as they feared for their lives.

“It was a harrowing experience. I know plane scare is experienced by many and when we travel abroad and locally we experience it, but yesterday’s was beyond us. It was God that saved us otherwise there was no way,” Dr Kokofu recounted on Lawson TV.

The former EPA boss said he was seated beside Dr Amoakohene, while Lil Win and other passengers occupied nearby seats. The aircraft was almost full, with only the first two seats unoccupied, and passengers included people travelling abroad as well as visitors.

Dr Kokofu expressed concern over what he considered a lack of communication from the flight crew during the frightening moments, noting that the pilot did not provide an explanation or make any announcement until the aircraft eventually landed in Accra. He said that after the aircraft regained some stability, he expected the pilot to return to Kumasi, but the flight continued to Accra. Passengers spent the remaining 20 to 25 minutes of the journey praying for their safety until the aircraft landed successfully.

While commending the pilot for bringing the aircraft safely to its destination, Dr Kokofu insisted the incident should not be treated lightly. He said he had instructed his office to formally petition the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ghana Airports Company Limited to investigate the circumstances surrounding the flight, as well as similar incidents in the past, to prevent a possible aviation disaster.

“The safety of air travel in the country must not be taken for granted,” he warned, urging the relevant authorities to establish what went wrong before a more serious incident occurs.

Lil Win also shared his account, describing how passengers became frightened as the aircraft encountered what he believed were severe weather conditions shortly after take-off. According to the actor, it was raining heavily in Kumasi when the aircraft began moving, prompting him to expect an announcement from the crew about a possible delay. He said he initially thought the aircraft might encounter heavier rainfall as it climbed, particularly because weather conditions in Kumasi could differ from those in Accra.

Lil Win recounted that the aircraft climbed unusually high before suddenly dropping, with the force of the movement causing his cap to come off without his knowledge. The incident sparked panic among passengers, including Dr Amoakohene and Dr Kokofu, as people shouted in fear.

The actor said he tried to calm those on board by reassuring them that they would survive the ordeal and encouraging them to put their trust in God. He admitted he had never witnessed an aircraft travelling between Kumasi and Accra climb to such a height and at such speed, and attributed their safe arrival to divine intervention.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Lil Win said he had invested heavily in producing his movie, Journey to Africa, and was grateful to have survived to see the project and his other endeavours continue.

The accounts from the two passengers have raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the flight, with calls for aviation authorities to investigate and establish whether weather conditions or a technical problem contributed to the frightening experience.

The incident comes on the heels of a tragic helicopter crash last August that claimed the lives of eight people, including Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Dr Murtala Ibrahim Mohammed, while they were on their way to a national assignment in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region a tragedy that has heightened public sensitivity to aviation safety in the country.