An investigative committee probing the 6 August military helicopter crash that killed eight top officials, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, has ruled out reports of a mid-air explosion, saying the blast occurred only upon impact with the ground.
Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe, who led the inquiry, said the Harbin Z-9EH helicopter went down after suffering a “sudden loss of altitude and lift” caused by a powerful downdraft during flight.
“There was no explosion before impact,” Forjoe told reporters in Accra on Tuesday. “The helicopter’s fuel tank, located beneath the passenger seats, ignited only when the aircraft hit the ground.”
Contradiction
The committee’s findings contradict early eyewitness accounts suggesting the helicopter exploded mid-air while en route from Accra to Obuasi on an anti-illegal mining mission.
The Ghana Air Force aircraft, tail number GHF 631, lost radar contact shortly after 9:12 a.m. and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District in the Ashanti Region.
All eight passengers and crew died in the crash, among them Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Muniru Mohammed Limuna, NDC Vice-Chair Samuel Sarpong, and former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye.
Forjoe said although the aircraft lacked some modern safety enhancements, that alone was not responsible for the tragedy. “It would be wrong to say the absence of modern systems caused the crash,” he added.
Recommendation
The inquiry, supervised by National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak, was conducted in collaboration with the Ghana Air Force, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and international aviation experts.
The committee recommended that the Air Force upgrade its fleet with modern helicopters equipped with terrain awareness and warning systems, flight data and cockpit voice recorders, and simulators for pilot training.
It also urged the installation of en route navigational aids and the modernization of ground support equipment to strengthen the country’s aviation safety standards.
The government is expected to review the report and implement the recommendations to prevent future air disasters.
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