The government has officially presented the findings of the investigation into the tragic 6 August helicopter crash to the National Security Council at the Jubilee House.
Presenting the conclusive report on Tuesday (11 November), detailed by Captain Paul Forjoe, a retired pilot and senior aviation engineer with the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIIB), pinpoints a sudden, severe weather phenomenon as the direct cause of the accident.
According to the investigation, the crash was caused by the “sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft.” The report clarifies that this “loss of altitude without change in power or pitch attitude is consistent with downdraft associated with changing environmental conditions over high terrain.”
Captain Forjoe, presenting the technical details, explained that the helicopter was on its planned track, navigating to avoid clouds, when the incident occurred.
“Suddenly, thereafter, the helicopter that was flying up, without any change in its power or in the pitch… suddenly lost height and impacted a ridge line,” he stated, noting the time of impact was 9:58 AM, about six and a half miles from its destination.
Airworthy Craft, But Lacking Critical Safety Systems
The investigation confirmed that the helicopter was airworthy at the time of the flight. However, it critically “lacked additional safety enhancements required for the weather phenomenon over that terrain.”
A key missing system highlighted was the Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS). Captain Forjoe described this as a predictive system that warns pilots and provides a better situational picture, allowing for better judgment to foresee potential problems.
The crash occurred amidst a confluence of challenging conditions:
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Adverse weather and limited visibility.
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Rising, rugged terrain that induced complicating factors.
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A lack of ground-based navigational aids en route.
Investigation Praises Timely Emergency Response
The report commended the “very timely” emergency response, noting it was remarkable that first responders reached the remote and difficult crash site within approximately two hours.
“When we went to the site, it was also raining, and it was very slippery, and we struggled using sticks and everything to try to get up there,” Captain Forjoe recounted, emphasising the challenging conditions the responders faced.
Sweeping Safety Recommendations for National Air Capability
The investigation uncovered several systemic gaps and has proposed a series of critical safety recommendations to prevent future tragedies:
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Fleet Modernisation: A “definite need to modernise the fleet of the Ghana Air Force” with aircraft equipped with TAWS and modern navigation systems. New aircraft must also be fitted with modern Cockpit Voice Recorders and Flight Data Recorders.
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Enhanced Training: The Air Force should invest in simulators for recurrent training, noting a current lack of such facilities.
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Improved Weather Services: Contracting certified aviation weather providers to improve meteorological data.
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National Infrastructure: Ghana should install enroute navigational aids, especially in remote areas.
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Flight Monitoring: The Air Force should establish Flight Data Monitoring and enroute tracking systems, as there is currently no secondary surveillance radar or real-time aircraft tracking.
Captain Forjoe expressed hope that the report “will bring closure to the families of our departed heroes and to the nation.” He also extended acknowledgements to the National Security Secretariat, U.S. and Chinese investigative teams, and the dedicated local investigation team that worked for over two months to complete the report.
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