‘I Nearly Died in a Plane Crash in 2007’ – Kufuor Recounts Close Call
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has recalled a terrifying mid-air ordeal during his presidency, revealing how he narrowly escaped a plane crash over the Sahara Desert in 2007.
Speaking on Angel TV in the wake of the recent helicopter tragedy that killed eight people in Ghana, Kufuor said the incident happened during an official trip from Tripoli, Libya, to Khartoum, Sudan, with a delegation of 12 to 16 people.
“Had it not been for God’s intervention, I would have been involved in a plane crash,” he said.
The aircraft, which had just taken off after a meeting with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, struggled to gain altitude. “Over the desert, the plane could not ascend. For almost 30 minutes, it refused to climb. All you could see below was desert. Eeeii! What was about to happen to us here?” Kufuor recalled.
The tense situation was made worse by the silence of the pilot and the sight of flight attendants hurriedly moving luggage towards passengers’ seats. Eventually, the plane turned over the Mediterranean Sea but still struggled to fly higher, finally making an emergency return to Tripoli after nearly an hour in the air.
“As we were landing, we saw fire tenders and security vehicles racing on the tarmac. The pilot later confirmed the plane couldn’t fly any higher, so he had to return,” Kufuor said.
The delegation spent the night in Tripoli before boarding a replacement aircraft to Sudan.
Reflecting on the dangers of diplomatic travel, the former president noted that such experiences highlight the importance of strict safety protocols and clear communication during flights.
His story, told as the nation mourns the victims of the recent crash, serves as a sobering reminder of the risks faced by public officials and the unpredictable nature of air travel.