We woke up on August 6, 2025 to the heartbreaking news that eight Ghanaians had perished in a helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region. The Z-9E military helicopter was flying from Accra to Obuasi when it went down in the Dampia Forest Reserve, near Brofuyedru. The crash claimed the lives of three crew members and five passengers.
This tragedy has since been thoroughly investigated by the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB-Ghana). The final report, presented by Captain Emmanuel Forjoe, a veteran investigator with nearly five decades of aviation experience, shed light on the factors that caused the crash and more importantly, the gaps that must now be closed to prevent a recurrence.
The report concluded that the helicopter was caught in a severe downdraft and poor visibility caused by heavy mist and rain. The aircraft, attempting to navigate rugged terrain, suddenly lost lift and altitude and crashed within seconds. Crucially, the investigation found no evidence of mechanical failure or pilot error and the aircraft was airworthy. Also both pilots were well trained and medically fit. The tragedy, therefore, was the result of harsh environmental conditions compounded by systemic shortcomings in our aviation infrastructure.
The most disturbing revelation from the report is not just the weather-related nature of the accident, but the glaring deficiencies that made the crash all the more likely. The Air Force’s helicopters lack modern safety systems such as terrain awareness and warning systems, autopilot and real-time tracking capabilities. These are not luxuries; they are standard safety features in modern aviation. Their absence leaves even the most skilled pilots vulnerable when flying through poor weather or mountainous terrain.
Equally concerning is the broader picture painted by the investigation a national aviation system still struggling with outdated infrastructure. Ghana lacks a comprehensive en-route weather and navigation network. There are no automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADSB) systems or secondary surveillance radar to track aircraft movements in real time.
Without these, flight monitoring becomes guesswork, and response times in emergencies are unnecessarily prolonged. These gaps are unacceptable in a 21st-century air force, especially one operating in a region where weather patterns can change within minutes.
Captain Forjoe and his team have made strong recommendations that deserve immediate attention. They have urged the modernisation of the Air Force’s fleet to include aircraft equipped with terrain-warning and autopilot systems, investment in simulator-based training for pilots, and the establishment of real-time flight data monitoring systems. They have also called for the creation of a national weather and navigation infrastructure that extends beyond urban centers to remote and forested areas where flying conditions are most unpredictable.
Implementing these recommendations will require significant investment, but the cost of inaction is far greater. Every crash that occurs due to preventable factors erodes public confidence, diminishes morale within the military, and, most painfully, costs lives that cannot be replaced.
This tragedy should, therefore, be a turning point. It is not enough to express condolences or to commend the bravery of first responders, commendable though they were. The nation must act. The Ministry of Defence, the Ghana Armed Forces and the government as a whole must treat the AIB’s recommendations as urgent priorities. Ghana’s aviation safety systems must evolve from reactive investigations to proactive prevention.
Our nation owes it to the memory of those eight heroes and to every airman and woman who continues to serve to ensure that their sacrifice leads to lasting reform.
Let this tragedy be the last of its kind. Safety in the skies should never be left to chance.
