All eight passengers on board the chartered helicopter carrying six Newmont officials and two crew of the IAS Helicopter Company, which made an unscheduled landing at Beposo in the Ashanti Region yesterday afternoon are said to be safe. A statement from Newmont said the delegation was travelling from Newmont’s Ahafo mine site in Kenyasi to Accra when one of the helicopter’s two engines began to malfunction. “The twin engine helicopter is able to function with a single engine so it managed to do an unscheduled landing,” the statement said. This contradicts earlier reports that the helicopter crashed. The statement said all passengers and the crew aboard the aircraft had since been transported safely by a support helicopter to Accra. It said the pilots followed all safety and emergency procedures, and they handled the situation professionally. But Aviation officials and the helicopter carrier are reportedly investigating the cause of the engine malfunction. “Newmont would like to thank all involved for their professionalism and ensuring all people onboard the helicopter reached their destinations safely,” the statement said.