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The committee investigating the tragic military helicopter crash that occurred on August 6, 2025, has concluded that the disaster was triggered by a sudden loss of altitude and lift caused by a strong downdraft.
Speaking at a public briefing on Tuesday, November 11, Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe, a member of the committee, stated that the Harbin Z-9EH aircraft experienced abrupt environmental changes while flying over high terrain, which resulted in the fatal descent.
“The investigation determined that the accident was caused by a sudden loss of altitude and lift due to a downdraft. This loss of altitude without any change in power or pitch is consistent with environmental turbulence over high terrain,” Captain Forjoe explained.
The committee, led by Acting Minister for Defence Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was established to identify the cause of the crash and recommend strategies to prevent future incidents. The final report cited a combination of technical, operational, and environmental factors that contributed to the crash.
The ill-fated Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter (tail number GHF 631), operated by the Ghana Air Force, departed Accra at around 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi on an anti-illegal mining mission. The aircraft lost radar contact and later crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
All eight passengers and crew members on board perished in the crash. Among the victims were Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence, and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, as well as other senior government officials and military officers.
