Safety equipment could’ve prevented Ghana helicopter crash – Investigative Team
The investigative committee probing the August 6 military helicopter crash has revealed that the tragedy could have been avoided if the aircraft had been fitted with enhanced safety and navigation equipment.
Presenting the committee’s findings on Tuesday, November 11, its leader, Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe, said the lack of key systems critically limited the pilot’s situational awareness, making it difficult to avert the crash.
“The crash could have been prevented if it had had enhanced equipment. And it could have put the pilot in a better situational awareness mode. And it could have put them in a much better place to have made better decisions, which could possibly have prevented this.
“What they went through, even the best anywhere would have struggled to get out of, with the limited instruments they had. If you have all these other enhancements, it really helps,” he said.
Captain (Rtd) Paul Forjoe disclosed that the Harbin Z-9EH helicopter did not have key safety systems such as the Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS/EGPWS), advanced terrain mapping navigation, and automatic flight control systems.
The committee, chaired by Acting Minister for Defence, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, November 10, during a National Security Council meeting at the Jubilee House in Accra.
The body was tasked with determining the cause of the crash and recommending measures to prevent future occurrences.
The helicopter, a Harbin Z-9EH with tail number GHF 631, was operated by the Ghana Air Force. It departed Accra at about 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi in the Ashanti Region for an anti-illegal mining operation when it lost radar contact and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District.
All eight persons on board perished in the crash. The victims included the Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah; the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Muniru Mohammed Limuna; NDC Vice-Chair, Samuel Sarpong; former parliamentary candidate, Samuel Aboagye; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala; Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.
The investigation, led by National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak, was conducted in collaboration with the Ghana Air Force, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and international aviation experts.
The report is expected to inform the implementation of stronger safety protocols and equipment upgrades across Ghana’s military aviation fleet.
