Wing Commander (Rtd) Patrick Nelson Sogbodjor, has ruled out the possibility of the August 6, 2025 helicopter crash being prevented, even if the helicopter had the needed enhancements.
According to him, the aircraft has operated for over a decade since its procurement by the GAF, including recent trips across the country with the President, without being involved in any accident.
His stance seeks to go in tandem with the investigative committee’s report which cites adverse weather conditions as the cause of the fatal crash.
Speaking in a Zoom interview with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the retired army officer said that even though the needed enhancement wouldn’t have been bad, there is, however, no way that could have prevented the accident.
“This Z-9 recently flew the President all over the country. They’ve been zigzag. Much as you may need some enhancements, these enhancements wouldn’t have prevented the accident,” he stated.
When asked by the host, if he meant “the enhancements couldn’t have prevented the accident?”, he responded, “no way, they couldn’t.”
He continued that “this aircraft has been flying for the last 10-15 years without an accident. If we’re talking about enhancement they are good, but they couldn’t have, like Forjoe said, prevented the accident.”
His comments come on the back of the release of the investigative report by the committee that was tasked to probe the incident.
According to the report, the accident was caused by a sudden downdraft and poor weather conditions over hilly terrain in the Ashanti Region. The accident claimed eight lives, including two cabinet ministers.
The findings were released at a media briefing in Accra on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a day after the final report was presented to the National Security Council.
Presenting the details, Captain Paul Forjoe, Aircraft Accident Investigator and Head of Investigations at the Aircraft Investigations Bureau (AIB) Ghana, said the Z-9EH utility helicopter operated by the Ghana Air Force was airworthy but lacked modern safety systems that could have helped the pilots avoid the fatal descent.
The crash led to the deaths of the Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Limuna Muniru, NDC National Vice Chairman, Samuel Sarpong, and the Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Samuel Aboagye, together with three Air Force crew members.
The Z-9 helicopter, with tail number GHF 631, went off radar on the morning of August 6, 2025, while flying from Accra to Obuasi. It later crashed in the Dampia Range Forest Reserve near Antoakrom in the Amansie West District.
A 30-day investigation board, chaired by the National Security Coordinator, Abdul-Osman Razak, and supported by technical advisers from the United States Air Force, was set up to determine the causes and circumstances leading to the crash.
Captain Forjoe said the investigation found no evidence of mechanical fault, human error, or medical impairment.
He explained that the pilots were calm, prepared, and professional during pre-flight checks and were fully qualified under both Ghana Air Force and international standards.
“The helicopter was in good working condition and met all basic safety requirements,” he said. “But it did not have advanced systems such as terrain awareness and warning equipment, automatic flight control, or navigation mapping, which could have improved situational awareness and reduced pilot workload.”
He said the crew took off from Accra under visual flight rules after a one-hour delay due to poor weather. As they approached Obuasi, visibility dropped sharply, forcing the pilots to switch to instrument flight rules. Moments before impact, the crew reported sighting high ground below. The aircraft then lost altitude and struck a ridgeline at about 1,370 feet above sea level.
“This loss of altitude without a change in power or pitch altitude is consistent with a downdraft linked to changing weather conditions over high terrain,” Captain Forjoe explained.
Helicopter crash: Mordernise the fleet of Ghana Air Force – Report
