Full-Scale Investigation into Helicopter Crash Begins | By David Kwakutse | Ghana has entered a period of anguished reflection as investigations begin into the military helicopter crash that claimed eight lives on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Hope for answers lies in the retrieval of the flight data recorder (black box) which was successfully recovered from the wreckage on Thursday, August 7.
The ill-fated Ghana Air Force Z‑9 helicopter departed Accra that morning bound for Obuasi in the Ashanti Region to participate in an event aimed at combating illegal mining. It later vanished from radar before the wreckage was discovered in the Dampayaw Forest in Adansi Akrofuom area of the Ashanti Region.
Among the eight confirmed dead were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. Also lost were Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Limuna Mohammed Muniru, NDC Vice Chairman Dr. Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, plus three Ghana Armed Forces crew members—Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
President John Dramani Mahama declared three days of national mourning, directing flags to fly at half-staff and suspending his official engagements. In the wake of the tragedy, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has been appointed acting Defence Minister.
The retrieval of the black box marks a pivotal step in the investigative process. This sophisticated device, comprising both a Flight Data Recorder and a Cockpit Voice Recorder, captures critical flight metrics and cockpit communications, integral to determining whether mechanical failure, pilot error, or external factors played a role.
To facilitate a comprehensive inquiry, the Military High Command has convened a formal investigation committee. This team will examine the crash site extensively and handle delicate forensic processes including the decoding of the flight recorder.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Academy of Forensic Sciences emphasized the urgent necessity for a robust national forensic framework. The tragic crash has exposed gaps in how Ghana handles mass fatality incidents and has spurred calls for improved forensic infrastructure and policies to ensure dignified, scientific, and respectful handling of such tragedies in future.
The painstaking examination of the black box and the crash site offers the promise of closure and a clearer path toward preventing another national tragedy.
Full-Scale Investigation into Helicopter Crash Begins | AviationGhana |
