The Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah, has stated that all available evidence suggests the Ghana Air Force helicopter accident that claimed eight lives was the result of a blast.
According to the Deputy Majority Chief Whip, the helicopter did not crash as initially speculated.
The aircraft blasted; it did not crash. Let me tell you something: with all the crashes that have happened in the past, we see that the aircraft lands at a specific location. You would usually find it at a given location where the victims can all be found. But in this instance, the parts of the helicopter were scattered, and the victims were found at separate locations. In an aircraft where one is in a seatbelt, how did victims end up scattered? We are told some of them were found in a deep valley. So, the aircraft blasted before reaching the ground, she stated on Okay FM.
She, however, expressed hope that the details from the black box, which has since been located, will bring clarity to the events leading up to the accident.
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We thank God that the black box has been found. Whatever the details are, the government should make them available because we are all interested parties. We want to know what happened that caused the aircraft to blast before coming down, she stated.
On August 6, 2025, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 military helicopter crashed into a forested mountainside in the Adansi Akrofuom District, Ashanti Region, killing all eight people on board.
The helicopter was en route from Kotoka International Airport in Accra to Obuasi for an event focused on combating illegal mining.
Among the victims were Ghanas Minister of Defense Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, and three crew members: Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
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The wreckage was found burned, with all victims burnt beyond recognition, necessitating DNA analysis for identification.
While the Ghana Armed Forces has announced an investigation into the crash, the actual cause of the accident has yet to be identified. However, speculations remain rife.
GA/BAI