The Investigative Committee that examined the circumstances surrounding the crash of the military Z-9 helicopter, which occurred on August 6 at Adansi in the Ashanti Region, has concluded that the incident was caused by a loss of altitude and lift resulting from a downdraft.

Thus, a sudden downward rush of air forced the helicopter down, reducing its ability to stay airborne. According to the committee, the tragedy was not the fault of the pilot, nor was it due to a technical problem.

This revelation became public on Tuesday, November 11, through a member of the Investigative Board, Captain Paul Forjoe. Captain Forjoe, who doubles as an investigator and retired pilot with the AAIBG, added that although the Z-9 helicopter met all requirements before embarking on its journey, the inadequacy of necessary safety devices such as warning systems, sensors, and protective mechanisms also played a role in the crash.

"The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft. This loss of altitude without change in power or pitch attitude is consistent with downdraft associated with changing environmental conditions over high terrain,"

“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.

Despite all this, the aircraft was in good condition to fly and met all safety requirements. The investigation has strongly recommended that aircraft with these additional safety enhancements be acquired immediately for the Air Force,” Captain Paul Forjoe stated.

The Investigative Board was chaired by the National Security Coordinator, with members drawn from the Ghana Air Force and the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Ruling out potential human failures, Captain Forjoe noted that the captain of the helicopter, Squadron Leader Peter Baafemi Anala, exhibited all the requisite skills to handle the aircraft. He said Peter Anala had hands-on experience dating back to 2015. According to him, Peter Anala had a green instrument rating, making him both qualified and experienced.

“To rule out any potential human causes, we also examined the qualifications, experience, and competence of the crew. The captain has a postgraduate certificate in safety and accident investigations from Hansfield University, UK, in 2024. The captain was a qualified FAA, thus the Federal Aviation Administration Commercial and instrument-rated pilot from Crystal Academy from the USA in April 2015, 10 years ago. Within the Air Force, he was recategorized in March 2025 as a Cat C pilot. That the pilot was qualified to be a captain of the Z-9 helicopter and he had a green instrument rating.”

Meanwhile, the report by the Investigative Board blamed adverse weather and limited visibility as contributory factors to the tragic incident. The board further pointed to weak operational systems within the Ghana Air Force. According to the findings, no formal weather information was available to the pilot along the route. To prevent future occurrences, the board has called for improvements in the Ghana Air Force’s systems.

The unfortunate event claimed the lives of Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; then Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; and then Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Human Security, Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed.

Others included then Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Sarpong; then Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Samuel Aboagye; Squadron Leader Peter Anala of the Ghana Air Force; Flying Officer Tsum Ampadu of the Ghana Air Force; and Sergeant Ernest Addo of the Ghana Air Force.

President John Mahama had earlier disclosed that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the Z-9 Air Force helicopter had been retrieved. He made this announcement during his national address on Thursday, August 7, a day after the incident.

In the United States, the authority responsible for investigating aircraft accidents is the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB is an independent federal agency mandated by Congress to investigate every civil aviation accident in the U.S., as well as significant incidents in other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space.

Since its establishment in 1967, the NTSB has investigated more than 153,000 aviation accidents and thousands of surface transportation events. Its mission is to determine probable causes, examine safety issues, and develop recommendations to prevent similar accidents in the future.

To date, the Board has issued more than 15,500 safety recommendations to over 2,470 recipients, with an implementation rate of 82 percent for the more than 12,700 recommendations that have been closed.

In Ghana, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB) is responsible for investigating plane crashes. On July 6, 2020, former President Nana Akufo-Addo granted executive approval for the laying before Parliament of the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau Bill, 2020.

The bill sought to establish an autonomous bureau to conduct investigations into aircraft accidents and incidents in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Months ago, former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul confirmed that all four Z-9 helicopters were due for maintenance this year.

His comment came after former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu urged the government to immediately introduce insurance cover for all military helicopters in the aftermath of the crash that claimed eight lives, including two ministers of state, last week.

“The military copters are not insured, but given where we are today and the fact that cities are far between, and apart from ensuring routine servicing, given the fact that they have become regular means of transport for the president, ministers, and so on, the time has come for us to consider perhaps insuring these ones that serve other purposes other than just military purposes,” he said.

During an appearance on JoyNews' PM Express on Wednesday, Mr. Nitiwul said, "In fact, those aircraft are due for servicing this year. But they are still allowed to fly anyway. But this year, they will take the three that are left to go and do the servicing."

He stressed that despite the planned maintenance, the helicopters remain operational and not obsolete.

The former minister added that one of the aircraft developed a problem in 2019 or 2020 while en route from Boya in the North to Tamale. Military generals were onboard when it landed and sustained damage; however, all occupants survived, unlike the tragic incident of August 6.

He further disclosed that the Z-9EH helicopters, which were originally acquired in September 2015, are stationed in Takoradi and not in Accra because they belong to Ghana Gas. According to him, Ghana Gas purchased them for pipeline surveillance — an initiative started during President Atta Mills' administration.

However, he said, on September 23, 2015, the Mahama government officially commissioned them for use by the Ghana Armed Forces.

"So literally, anytime for example there is service, it is the Ghana Gas that will give the Ministry of Defence (MOD) the money to do the servicing and all the kind of things they need to do," the minister shared.

Ghana now has three Z-9 helicopters out of the four that were originally acquired in September 2015 as part of a strategic partnership with China. The missing one was destroyed on August 6 after a deadly crash.