An official investigation has concluded that the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of several senior Ghanaian government officials, including two ministers, was caused by severe weather conditions.
The Z-9 military helicopter went down in a dense forest in August while flying from Accra to Obuasi, killing all eight people on board.
Those who perished included Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Mr Limuna Muniru, National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Vice Chairman; Mr Samuel Sarpong, Deputy Director-General of NADMO; and Mr Samuel Aboagye, also of NADMO, together with three Air Force crew members.
After a two-month probe, investigators determined that the aircraft lost altitude and lift after encountering a downdraft—a strong downward current of air.
While the helicopter was described as airworthy, the report recommended an urgent modernisation of the Ghana Air Force fleet, noting that it lacked modern safety and navigational systems.
Captain Paul Forjoe, a retired commercial pilot and aviation engineer who led the inquiry, disclosed that the 13-year-old helicopter did not have a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS)—a device designed to alert pilots of potential ground collisions.
The investigation was conducted by Ghanaian authorities with support from US aviation experts and the aircraft’s Chinese manufacturer.
Officials said the delegation was travelling to Obuasi to attend an anti-illegal mining programme when the crash occurred.
An eyewitness told the BBC that the helicopter was flying at an “unusually low altitude” before he heard a “loud sound” followed by a “bang.”
“When I got to the scene, there was no one to be rescued,” the farmer recounted.
