The investigative committee that examined the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash has concluded that the tragedy was caused by a sudden loss of altitude and lift resulting from a powerful downdraft.
Presenting the findings at a public briefing on Tuesday, November 11, Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe, a member of the committee, said the aircraft encountered abrupt environmental changes while flying over high terrain, which led to its fatal descent.
“The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the sudden loss of altitude and lift due to a downdraft,” Captain Forjoe stated.
“This loss of altitude without a change in power or pitch attitude is consistent with a downdraft associated with changing environmental conditions over high terrain.”
The committee, chaired by the Acting Minister for Defense, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was mandated to determine the cause of the crash and propose preventive measures. Its final report cited a combination of technical, operational, and environmental factors that contributed to the disaster.
The crash involved a Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter (tail number GHF 631) operated by the Ghana Air Force. The aircraft departed Accra at about 9:12 a.m. for Obuasi on an anti-illegal mining operation but lost radar contact before crashing in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
All eight passengers and crew on board perished, including senior government officials and military officers such as Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defense, and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology.
