According to the findings of the committee, as the flight approached Obuasi, about 90 miles away from Accra, visibility deteriorated rapidly due to mist and low clouds.

At 9:56 am, the crew entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), meaning they flew into clouds because they no longer could stay away from the clouds, and transitioned into instrument flight rules (IFR), meaning they now transitioned from using visual cues to navigate solely on the aircraft instruments.

The crew then initiated a climb to cross terrain that they were aware of, and initiated to climb to cross the terrain.

Seconds before impact, the crew stated [per the findings from the aircraft recorder], that they could see the high ground below, (and) so they go over it, but suddenly thereafter, the helicopter that was flying up, without any change in its power, or in the pitch [which is used to go up and down], suddenly lost height and impacted a ridge line, at about 1370 feet above sea level, and this is about 6 and half miles away from destination. at 9:58 am.

There was no potential human error involved in the accident, according to the committee.

The flight to Brofoyedru [90 miles from Accra and 10 miles from Obuasi] was uneventful, according to the committee findings.

The findings of the August 6 military helicopter crash, which claimed eight lives including two cabinet ministers, was made public at a media briefing on Tuesday [Nov 11, 2025]

The report was first presented to the National Security Council on Monday, before its release to the public on Tuesday.

It resulted in the deaths of Defence Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Limuna Muniru, NDC Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong, and NADMO Deputy Director-General Samuel Aboagye, together with three crew members.

The Z-9 utility helicopter went off radar on the morning of August 6, 2025 while flying from Accra to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

A 30-day investigation board chaired by National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak, with technical advisers from the United States Air Force, was constituted to investigate the incident.

Presenting the details at the press briefing, Flight Captain Paul Fordjour, Aircraft Accident Investigator and Head of Investigations at the Aircraft Investigations Bureau (AIB) Ghana, said the Z-9EH utility helicopter operated by the Ghana Air Force was airworthy but lacked modern safety systems that could have helped the pilots avoid the fatal descent.

He said the accident was caused by a sudden downdraft and poor weather conditions over hilly terrain in the Ashanti Region.

The Z-9 helicopter, with tail number GHF 631, went off radar on the morning of August 6, 2025, while flying from Accra to Obuasi. It later crashed in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve near Antoakrom in the Amansie West District.

He explained that the pilots were calm, prepared, and professional during pre-flight checks and were fully qualified under both Ghana Air Force and international standards.

“The helicopter was in good working condition and met all basic safety requirements,” he said. “But it did not have advanced systems such as terrain awareness and warning equipment, automatic flight control, or navigation mapping, which could have improved situational awareness and reduced pilot workload.”

He said the crew took off from Accra under visual flight rules after a one-hour delay due to poor weather. As they approached Obuasi, visibility dropped sharply, forcing the pilots to switch to instrument flight rules. Moments before impact, the crew reported sighting high ground below. The aircraft then lost altitude and struck a ridgeline at about 1,370 feet above sea level.

“This loss of altitude without a change in power or pitch attitude is consistent with a downdraft linked to changing weather conditions over high terrain,” Captain Fordjour explained.

The investigation used data from the flight recorders, which were decoded at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) centre in Xi’an.

The team also reviewed maintenance records, pilot logs, and weather data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency, and interviewed engineers, colleagues, and families of the crew.

Captain Fordjour commended the emergency teams, describing the response as timely. He said first responders reached the crash site within two hours despite heavy rain, poor visibility, and steep terrain.

He said the inquiry also exposed weaknesses in the country’s aviation system, including inadequate real-time weather services, limited simulator training, and the absence of flight-tracking and data-monitoring systems.

The report outlined several findings and recommendations.

Cause of crash: The helicopter lost lift and altitude due to a downdraft caused by poor weather and rugged terrain.

Aircraft condition: The Z-9EH helicopter was airworthy but lacked terrain awareness, autopilot, and advanced navigation systems.

Crew competence: The pilots were fully qualified, well-rested, and medically fit, with no evidence of fatigue or human error.

Weather conditions: Visibility dropped to about 200 metres near Obuasi, with mist, rain, and low clouds forcing instrument flying.

Emergency response: Rescue teams reached the crash site within two hours despite difficult terrain and bad weather.

Systemic issues: The Air Force lacked real-time tracking systems, flight data monitoring, and simulator-based training.

The AIB Ghana recommended that the government acquire aircraft with terrain awareness and advanced navigation systems, invest in simulators for pilot training, and establish national en-route navigational aids and real-time weather monitoring systems.

It also advised the installation of modern cockpit voice and flight data recorders with audiovisual capability and the modernisation of ground support and flight data systems.

Captain Fordjour described the crash as an unfortunate weather-related accident and said the recommendations, once implemented, would help improve aviation safety.

“We hope this report brings closure to the families of our departed heroes and to the nation,” he said.