Keypoints:
- Probe blames poor weather for fatal crash
- Air Force fleet lacked modern safety gear
- Ministers were en route to illegal mining event
A GOVERNMENT investigation has concluded that poor weather conditions and a severe downdraft caused the helicopter crash that killed Ghana’s ministers of defence and environment along with six others in August.
The Z-9 military helicopter, operated by the Ghana Air Force, went down in dense forest as it flew from Accra to Obuasi, leaving no survivors. According to the report released on Tuesday, the aircraft lost altitude and lift after encountering a strong downward current of air.
‘The helicopter was airworthy,’ the committee stated, ‘but it lacked modern safety and navigational systems that could have improved situational awareness in bad weather.’
Ageing fleet under scrutiny
The probe, conducted jointly by Ghanaian authorities and US aviation experts with support from the helicopter’s Chinese manufacturer, highlighted the urgent need to modernise the Air Force’s fleet.
Captain Paul Forjoe, a retired commercial pilot and aviation engineer who chaired the panel, noted that the 13-year-old aircraft did not have a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS). The device alerts pilots when the aircraft is too close to the ground — a safeguard now considered standard in military and civilian fleets.
‘Modern safety systems such as TAWS are essential in low-visibility or high-risk conditions,’ Capt Forjoe said. ‘Their absence increases the chances of controlled flight into terrain.’
Tragedy during anti-mining mission
On the morning of the crash, the ministers were travelling to Obuasi to attend a regional event focused on tackling illegal mining, commonly known in Ghana as galamsey.
Among those killed were Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, both senior members of the government.
Residents near the crash site in the Ashanti Region reported hearing the helicopter flying unusually low before it disappeared from view.
‘I heard the sound of the helicopter passing overhead, then a loud noise and a bang,’ one farmer said. ‘When I reached the site, there was no-one to be rescued.’
Safety reforms urged
The committee recommended a comprehensive upgrade of the Ghana Air Force’s fleet, including the installation of TAWS and other advanced navigational systems. It also urged the government to improve pilot weather briefings and expand training for flying in adverse conditions.
Authorities have pledged to implement the safety recommendations promptly.
The crash, one of the deadliest in Ghana’s aviation history, has sparked fresh debate about air safety standards and the condition of military aircraft used for government missions.
