By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
An official investigation has concluded that adverse weather conditions not human error were responsible for the Ghana Armed Forces helicopter crash that claimed eight lives on August 6, 2025.
According to the report released in Accra on Tuesday, the Z-9 military helicopter was deemed fully airworthy before takeoff. However, the aircraft encountered rapidly deteriorating weather conditions during its flight from Accra to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
At a media briefing on November 11, investigators explained that the helicopter’s flight was normal until it approached Obuasi, approximately 90 miles from the capital, where visibility worsened due to thick mist and low clouds.
The report noted that at 9:56 a.m., the crew entered Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) after losing visual contact with the ground and switched to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) procedures. Despite following standard protocol, the aircraft was unable to navigate through the severe reduction in visibility.
“There was no potential human error involved in the accident,” the investigative committee concluded.
The ill-fated Z-9 utility helicopter was transporting several senior government officials, including Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Limuna Muniru, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, NADMO Deputy Director-General Samuel Aboagye, and three crew members all of whom perished in the crash.
The 30-day inquiry, chaired by National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak with technical support from the United States Air Force, presented its findings to the National Security Council on Monday before the public release the following day.
The committee reaffirmed that the aircraft was “in condition to fly on the day of the accident” but emphasized that the weather deteriorated too rapidly for recovery.
The tragic incident has reignited discussions on aviation safety, emergency weather monitoring, and the protection of government officials during domestic air travel.
