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Introduction
It was Wednesday, August 6, 2025, when a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter, registered as GHF 631, took off from Accra on a flight to Obuasi. On board were three crew members and five passengers. The trip was expected to take less than an hour. But around 10 a.m., the helicopter went missing over the Dampia Forest Reserve near Anokyekrom Brofoyedru in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region. Hours later, search teams found the wreckage deep in the forest. All eight people on board lost their lives.
They included the Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah; the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; the Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Muniru Mohammed; and the Vice Chairperson of the NDC, Samuel Aboagye. The crew members were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. This report explains how the tragedy began and what investigators discovered. The full report of the findings can be watched on the YouTube channel of Channel One TV.
How the investigation began
Following the tragedy, President John Dramani Mahama directed the Ministry of Defence to establish an independent team to investigate the cause of the crash. The Accident Investigation Team consisted of aviation experts, military officers, and investigators from the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau. The Accident Investigation Team consisted of COP Abdul Razak Osman, Air Commodore D.A. Akrong, Group Captain N. A. Ayittey, Wing Commander A.R. Mustapha, Wing Commander A. Shaibu, Squadron Leader B.B. Abuseke, Lieutenant General T.A. Amoako, Captain Paul Forjoe, Engineer Eric Ewusi, and Maame Afua Aso Dnaquah Esq.
Their work began with a careful collection of evidence from the crash site to flight records and maintenance documents. The team reviewed the helicopter’s logbooks, the pilots’ training records, and the aircraft’s maintenance history. They also recovered the black boxes, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which were sent to the AVIC Flight Decoding Centre, Xian, China, for detailed analysis between September 12 and 22, 2025.
Key findings
What happened on the day of the crash?
Investigators pieced together the helicopter’s final moments using data and recordings. The helicopter took off from Accra under what’s called visual flight rules, meaning the pilots were mainly flying by sight because weather conditions allowed it. But as the flight continued, the weather began to worsen. Clouds thickened, visibility dropped, and the helicopter entered what pilots call instrument flying conditions, when you can no longer see the ground and must rely on instruments.
However, at around 9:56 a.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the pilots reported flying into heavy clouds and poor visibility near Obuasi. Minutes before the crash, they mentioned seeing high ground below.
Moments later, the helicopter suddenly lost height and slammed into a ridgeline about 1,370 feet above sea level, just 6.5 miles away from its destination. The crash site was deep within the Dampia Forest, making rescue and recovery efforts difficult.
Crew members
To rule out potential human causes, the investigation thoroughly reviewed the qualifications of the pilots. The captain was a Category C and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a certified commercial and instrument pilot in the Ghana Air Force, holding a postgraduate certificate in Safety and Accident Investigation from Cranfield University, UK. The copilot was a Category D and FAA-certified commercial and instrument pilot from Bristow Academy in the USA.
The report indicated that the same crew on flight Z-9 EH, before their demise on August 6, had flown the same helicopter on August 2, 3, and 4 from Takoradi to Accra, Accra to Cape Coast, back to Accra, and Accra to Salman to Accra, respectively, for MEDEVAC and cargo purposes. With up to 24 hours of rest on August 5, the investigation reveals that the crew was well-rested and psychologically fit to undertake their duties. All crew members were reported to be calm, with no known medical or psychological issues during pre-flight activities.
State of the Z-9 EH
The helicopter entered service with the Ghana Air Force in May 2015, and the aircraft was due for its 10-year check threshold on May 18, 2025. However, with permission from the manufacturer, the Ghana Air Force postponed the mandatory 10-year check to a 90-day extension, to August 18, 2025. Notwithstanding, the report indicates that the aircraft passed the 100-hour check and was fit for purpose as of August 6, 2025.
Although the aircraft was airworthy, the Z-9 lacked key safety enhancements and equipment. The helicopter did not have a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS/EGPWS), Advanced navigation with terrain mapping, or an Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). These enhancements improve situational awareness and reduce the workload on the pilot and crew.
The investigation revealed that no flight data monitoring system was in place. There was no following surveillance radar and tracking system for the flight.
The cause of the crash
The investigators found that the crash occurred because the helicopter suddenly lost lift after being hit by an intense downward rush of air, known as a downdraft, which often occurs in adverse weather conditions. When this downdraft struck, it caused the helicopter to plummet very quickly. The engines were still running, and the pilots hadn’t made any wrong moves, showing that the crash wasn’t caused by human error or a fault in the aircraft, but by a powerful force of nature. Captain Forjoe dismissed speculation and reiterated that the helicopter had exploded after impact.
Recommendation
The Accident Investigation Team didn’t just point out what went wrong; it also suggested how future flights could be made safer. Key among the recommendations were,
- Acquire modern aircraft with terrain warning systems (like HTAWS or EGPWS) installed in them.
- Undertake recurrent simulator training with certified aviation experts.
- Establish flight data monitoring systems, en-route tracking systems, and acquire modern ground support systems.
Conclusion
The crash of helicopter GHF 631 was not caused by human failure or engine trouble. It was due to bad weather, a dangerous downward wind, and the absence of modern safety equipment that could have warned the pilots in time.
