Associate Professor of Aviation and Aerospace Services, Kwasi Agyekum, has urged the public to remain patient as investigations continue into the August 6 helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofoum in the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV on Wednesday, August 13, Prof. Agyekum emphasised that aviation accidents are complex and rarely caused by a single factor, making thorough investigation essential.
Just to let the audience know, theres no single cause for an aviation accident. Lets get that truth. Its a very lengthy process; a detailed process. People should just relax because we want to get it right. No rush to come out with an accident investigative report when you know you have not done enough due diligence, he said.
Prof. Agyekum, an aviation accident investigator, suggested that third parties might be invited to join the inquiry committee to enhance its credibility.
Even though it is within the ambit of the military to do the investigation, in this case, I will not be surprised if third parties are being invited because of the high prominence, he noted.
He explained that had the aircraft been civil-registered, the probe would have followed the International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) standard recommended practices, which typically require preliminary findings within 30 days. However, no such timeline applies here.
If this were a civil registered aircraft, then a lot of times, the organisation and management of the investigative process will be under the International Civil Aviation Organisations standard recommended practice. Normally, they are supposed to come out with preliminary results within 30 days.
For us, that time bar is not applicable; it will be up to the inquiry committee as to when they will give updates. That update may not necessarily come to the public, he explained.
The crash claimed the lives of eight people, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye; National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong; and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Limuna Muniru Mohammed.
The crew members who perished were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
A state funeral for the victims is scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025, at the Black Star Square in Accra.
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