Ghana’s presidential jet — the Dassault Falcon 900EX — has encountered yet another technical setback following the discovery of new mechanical issues during its ongoing maintenance in France.
Deputy Minister for Defence, Brogya Genfi, briefed Parliament on the latest developments, confirming that although the original problem—a corroded fuel tank—has been successfully repaired, further inspections revealed additional complications that have delayed the aircraft’s return to Ghana.
Corrosion Problem Fixed, But New Fuel Leak Found
According to Mr. Genfi, the corrosion issue that initially grounded the aircraft has now been fully resolved.
“The reported corrosion spots detected within the aircraft’s fuel tanks, which affected the aircraft’s delivery date, have undergone extensive repairs. These corrosion issues in the fuel tanks have since been resolved,” he said.
However, while performing post-repair inspections, technicians detected fuel leakages in the right-hand wing tank, necessitating further technical intervention.
“In the course of the inspection, fuel leakages were observed from the right-hand wing tank. Unfortunately, after successfully repairing the section of the wing that experienced the leakages, another challenge was encountered while reinstalling the lower panel beneath the wing,” Mr. Genfi explained.
Dassault Aviation and OEM Step In
To address the issue, Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the Falcon aircraft, invited the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Falcon Wing to conduct an on-site assessment.
“Following the difficulties encountered, Dassault Aviation invited the Falcon Wing original equipment manufacturer to the Dassault Falcon Services hangar to enable the OEM to conduct an on-site assessment of the right-hand wing lower panel and provide independent technical recommendations aimed at expediting the repair and reinstallation process,” the Deputy Minister said.
He confirmed that the necessary repairs and component reinstallation have since been completed.
Final Testing Before Return to Ghana
The Deputy Minister outlined the final procedures required before the aircraft can be cleared for flight back to Ghana.
“The repair from the OEM has been successfully carried out, and the right-hand wing repair has also been completed. Upon the completion of this rectification, the aircraft has to undergo a leak test of the fuel tanks, a third engine ground run, painting of the wing lower panel, and finally, an acceptance flight will be performed,” he stated.
Mr. Genfi emphasized that the aircraft will only be returned after passing all safety and airworthiness tests.
“The challenge had to do with the wing of the aircraft, and that’s why they had to engage the original equipment manufacturer to resolve it. The specific tests that will be run include the fuel tanks and a ground engine run. After that, the repaired wing will be painted. All of these have to be completed before the aircraft will return to Ghana,” he concluded.
Background
The Falcon 900EX, acquired in 2010, serves as Ghana’s official presidential jet. It was grounded several months ago after corrosion was detected in its fuel tanks, prompting a full maintenance and repair process in France.
The aircraft has been at the Dassault Falcon Services facility since, with government officials assuring the public that it will only be returned once it meets all international air safety standards.
