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The investigative committee probing the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash has revealed that while the aircraft was airworthy on the day of the incident, it lacked critical safety equipment that could have helped prevent the tragedy.
The committee, chaired by Acting Minister for Defence Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, November 10, during a National Security Council meeting held at the Jubilee House in Accra.
Presenting details of the report at a press briefing on Tuesday, November 11, Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe, a member of the committee, disclosed that the Harbin Z-9EH helicopter, operated by the Ghana Air Force, was declared serviceable prior to take-off but lacked several modern safety systems.
“The aircraft was declared serviceable and signed off by the pilot, who was fully competent to operate it,” Captain Forjoe stated.
He explained that the helicopter was not equipped with essential systems such as the Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS/EGPWS), advanced terrain mapping navigation, and automatic flight control systems — features that could have improved situational awareness and prevented controlled flight into terrain.
The Harbin Z-9EH helicopter (tail number GHF 631) was on an anti-illegal mining operation from Accra to Obuasi when it lost radar contact and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District, claiming the lives of eight senior government and military personnel.
The committee’s final report, presented under the supervision of National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak, also included a series of safety recommendations aimed at modernising the Ghana Air Force fleet and improving aviation safety standards across the armed forces.
