An official investigation released on Tuesday, November 11, has revealed that adverse weather conditions were responsible for the military helicopter crash in Ghana on 6 August 2025, which claimed the lives of eight people, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. The report found that the aircraft encountered limited visibility, hilly terrain, and a sudden downdraft that caused a loss of altitude and lift, leading to the fatal crash in southern Ghana.
Captain Paul Forjoe, a retired pilot and aviation engineer who chaired the investigation panel, confirmed that the 12-year-old Chinese-made helicopter was airworthy but lacked critical safety systems such as a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS).
The report also pointed to broader deficiencies in Ghana’s aviation infrastructure, including inadequate navigational aids, insufficient simulator training for air force pilots, and the absence of real-time flight tracking systems. Investigators noted that the pilot had no access to weather updates along the route, further compounding the tragedy.