ACCRA – An official report released Tuesday has attributed a fatal military helicopter crash in Ghana, which claimed the lives of eight people including the Ministers of Defence and Environment, to severe weather conditions and difficult terrain.
The investigation revealed that adverse weather, coupled with poor visibility and the mountainous nature of the southern region where the accident occurred last August, contributed to the aircraft’s sudden loss of altitude.
The Chinese-made helicopter had been in service with the Ghanaian Air Force for approximately a decade. While deemed airworthy, the report highlighted a lack of advanced safety systems. Retired Captain Paul Forjoe, head of the investigative committee, stated that the helicopter was not equipped with a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), a predictive device that alerts pilots to potential ground collisions.
The report also pointed to shortcomings in the national aviation infrastructure, including limited navigational resources, a lack of simulator training for Air Force pilots, and the absence of real-time flight data monitoring or tracking systems such as secondary radar. Crucially, the pilot did not receive adequate weather information along the flight path.
The crash resulted in the deaths of all those on board, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, as well as prominent political figures and Air Force crew members.
The incident has prompted renewed calls for investment in aviation safety and infrastructure upgrades within the Ghanaian Air Force.
