Sudden altitude change caused August 6 helicopter crash – Report
The investigative committee that probed the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash has confirmed 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, explained that the aircraft experienced abrupt changes in environmental conditions while flying over high terrain, leading to the fatal descent.
“The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft.
“This loss of altitude without a change in power or pitch altitude is consistent with a downdraft associated with changing environmental conditions over high terrain,” Captain Forjoe stated.
The committee, chaired by the Acting Minister for Defence, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was tasked with determining the cause of the crash and recommending preventive measures. Its final report highlighted technical, operational, and environmental factors that contributed to the accident.
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 Defence, and Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology.
