The final report on the August 6 helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, including two ministers of state, has confirmed that the Z-9 aircraft involved was serviceable and airworthy at the time of the incident.
However, investigators say the absence of certain critical safety systems may have reduced the crew’s situational awareness during the flight.
Presenting the report on Tuesday, November 11, lead investigator and retired pilot with the Aircraft Accidents Investigations Bureau, Ghana, Captain Paul Forjoe, said the helicopter had been properly inspected and approved for flight before take-off.
“The aircraft on the day when it crashed was declared serviceable and duly signed off by the captain,” he stated.
Captain Forjoe revealed that the Flight Data Report showed the helicopter’s systems were functioning normally up to the point of the crash.
Despite being airworthy, he explained that the aircraft lacked several advanced “avionic safety enhancements” that could have helped the pilots better assess their surroundings.
He identified the missing equipment as a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), advanced navigation with terrain mapping, and an automatic flight control system.
“This safety equipment could have enhanced situational awareness,” he noted.
He stated that such systems play a crucial role in helping pilots navigate safely, especially in challenging environments.
“We have recommended strongly for aircraft with these additional safety enhancements be acquired immediately,” he added.
Background
On August 6, 2025, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter carrying eight people to an event about fighting illegal mining crashed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region, killing all eight people on board.
Among the dead were Ghana’s defence minister Edward Omane Boamah and environment minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.
The rest were acting deputy national security coordinator Limuna Mohammed Muniru, vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the helicopter took off from Kotoka International Airport in Accra at 9:12 a.m., heading northwest into the interior toward the gold-mining area at the Obuasi Black Park in Obuasi, when it went off the radar.
The helicopter’s wreckage was found later, with all of the victims burnt beyond recognition in a post-crash fire.
Footage of the crash site showed debris on fire in a forest as people circled around to help.
The crash was one of Ghana’s worst air disasters in more than a decade.