The Support Fund established for the children of the eight individuals who lost their lives on Wednesday, August 6, following a helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region has accrued a total of GH₵3,576,600 and US$20,000.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday, 29 August 2025, by Dr Valerie Sawyerr, Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs and Coordinator of the Fund. According to the presidency, 14 individuals and organisations have made donations to the Fund between August 19 and August 28.

The donors include Ghana Airport Ltd, Kennedy Hedoe, Peter Adongo, Mensah Michael, Appaul Wiredu Lateef, Samuel Hodalor, Dauda Iddi, ARB Apex Bank PLC, STL Foundation, Olam Agric, Fidelity Bank Ghana, ADB Bank, GLICO General Insurance, and the National Insurance Commission.The Fund was officially launched by President John Dramani Mahama while speaking at the State funeral organized for the victims at Black Star Square on Friday, August 15.

DONATIONS FOR HELICOPTER CRASH VICTIMS' CHILDRENDownload

On Tuesday, August 27, families of six out of the eight deceased persons received GHC 2 million in donations from Ghana’s leading insurance company, GLICO General Insurance.

The beneficiaries include the families of the Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Human Security, Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed; Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Sarpong; Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Samuel Aboagye; Wing Commander Peter Baafemi Analaa; Flight Lieutenant Manaen Twum Ampadu; and Flight Sergeant Mensah Ernest Addo.

The families of the two ministers—Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed—have also received benefits under the personal accident cover, as both were insured with the company.Speaking during the presentation, Andrew Achampong-Kyei, Managing Director of GLICO, urged the families of the deceased to take advantage of insurance packages as a safeguard against unforeseen circumstances.

“I’ll encourage you all that it’s important we protect our lives. Having insurance should be part of our social fabric, so we safeguard our lives and investments,” he said.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Edward Forkuo Kyei, expressed sympathy to the grieving families while assuring them of the company’s support during these difficult times.

“You are not standing alone; we are with you. It is for this reason we express our deepest condolences,” he noted.

Meanwhile, President Mahama has expressed his gratitude to Stanbic Bank Ghana for donating GHS 500,000 to the Fund, as well as to companies including Procus GH Limited, GB Foods Ghana, Sunda FM Manufacturing Ltd, Sage Distribution Ltd, Quantum Oil Terminals, Quantum LPG Logistics Ltd, Newgas Cylinder Ltd, and Quantum Terminals PLC for their contributions.

During the August 15 state burial, the President also announced posthumous promotions for three Ghana Air Force officers who perished in the crash. Squadron Leader Peter Analaa, Flying Officer Tsum Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo were all elevated to their next ranks as a tribute to their professionalism, sacrifice, and dedication.

Their new ranks are Wing Commander Peter Baafemi Analaa, Flight Lieutenant Manaen Twum Ampadu, and Flight Sergeant Mensah Ernest Addo.

On Friday, the government organized a State funeral to lay to rest six out of the eight victims of the Adansi helicopter crash. Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed and Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed, however, had been buried earlier on Sunday, August 10.

Janazah prayers were held at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra before their burial at the Military Cemetery in Tse Addo. At the State burial, tributes were read by the bereaved families, who reflected on the love, peace, and joy they had shared with the deceased.

President Mahama, in his tribute, eulogized each of the victims, highlighting their contributions and outstanding qualities. “Each of these men had a story. Each had a family they cherished, a vision they pursued, and a heart that beat with love for Ghana,” the President said.

The solemn and emotional ceremony brought together families, friends, mourners, and representatives of international organizations. Following the interfaith service at Black Star Square, the gathering proceeded to the Military Cemetery in Tse Addo, Greater Accra Region, where the burials took place.

President Mahama, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the families of the deceased, the Ghana Armed Forces, government officials, members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and other dignitaries took turns to lay wreaths in memory of the victims of the tragic incident.

Investigations into the Z-9 helicopter crash have officially begun following the establishment of an investigative Board, as announced by the Ministry of Defence.

The Board is 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).

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Acting Defence Minister, Ato Forson. "The Ministry of Defence hereby informs the public that the Investigation Board established to inquire into the recent Z-9 helicopter crash has formally commenced its work," parts of the statement read.

According to the Ministry, "the United States of America is providing advice and assistance to the board through visiting investigators from the U.S. Air Force."

Additionally, other relevant experts and institutions are expected to be consulted by the Board to aid in the investigations. 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).According to the AIB, Article 26 of the Chicago Convention requires every state in which an aviation accident occurs to investigate the event.

Furthermore, ICAO Annex 13 stipulates that such investigations must be conducted professionally, independently, and without bias.The investigatory body must therefore not only have a legal mandate but also be well-structured, adequately resourced, and autonomous in its operations and findings.

In 2019, when ICAO conducted a Validation Mission to assess Ghana’s level of Effective Implementation (EI) of its SARPs, the country obtained an impressive EI score of 89.89 percent.

Those wishing to contribute to the Support Fund have been directed to make donations through Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited (Stanbic Heights Branch, Accra) using the following accounts: US Dollar (USD) Account – 9040013628534 and Ghana Cedi (GHS) Account – 9040013628372. According to the Coordinator, cheques and bank drafts should be made payable to CHILDREN SUPPORT FUND 6825.