Retired pilot with the Aircraft Accidents Investigations Bureau, Ghana, Captain Paul Forjoe has stressed the urgent need to improve the Ghana Armed Forces' (GAF) air fleet.

Presenting the investigation report on the Z-9 helicopter that crashed near Brofoyedru in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, November 11, Capt. Forjoe highlighted several factors that contributed to the incident, with adverse weather conditions identified as one main cause.

He also put forward several recommendations, one of which is that the Air Force should invest in simulators for recurrent training.

"There is a definite need to modernize the fleet of the Ghana Air Force. We have recommended that the Air Force acquire modern aircraft, terrain avoidance warning systems and modern navigation systems. That the aircraft should have cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders. That the Air Force should invest in simulators for recurrent training," he stated while addressing the media.

The Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana) has concluded that a sudden, intense downdraft was responsible for the helicopter crash in Ghana that killed eight people.

This final report addresses the technical aspects of the tragedy, emphasizing the hazardous environmental conditions present over high terrain.

Captain Paul Forjoe, an investigator and retired pilot with the AAIBG, confirmed the technical cause during a briefing held today, Tuesday, November 11, at the Jubilee House.

The investigation’s findings point to the deadly combination of rapidly shifting weather and the aircraft’s vulnerability, especially when flying over elevated areas.

"The investigation determined that the accident was caused by the sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft," stated Captain Paul Forjoe.

A downdraft, which is a powerful downward-moving air current, can quickly overwhelm a helicopter’s rotors, sharply reducing the lift they produce. The report explained that this sudden aerodynamic problem happened without any mistakes by the pilot or mechanical faults.

"This loss of altitude without change in power or pitch attitude is consistent with downdraft associated with changing environmental conditions over high terrain," Captain Paul Forjoe explained.

This means that despite the pilot applying the proper power and control inputs, the intense downward air current forced the helicopter down, resulting in the fatal crash.

The publication of the technical report confirms that the tragedy was caused not by mechanical issues or pilot error, but by the extreme effects of severe weather conditions.

The deaths of all eight people on board highlight the dangers of flying over mountainous or unpredictable terrain, especially in areas where weather can change abruptly.

On August 6, 2025, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter carrying eight people to an event about fighting illegal mining crashed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region, killing all eight people on board.

Among the dead were Ghana's defence minister Edward Omane Boamah and environment minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

The rest were acting deputy national security coordinator Limuna Mohammed Muniru, vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Sarpong, former parliamentary candidate Samuel Aboagye, Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the helicopter took off from Kotoka International Airport in Accra at 9:12 a.m., heading northwest into the interior toward the gold-mining area at the Obuasi Black Park in Obuasi, when it went off the radar.

The helicopter's wreckage was found later, with all of the victims burnt beyond recognition in a post-crash fire.

Footage of the crash site showed debris on fire in a forest as people circled around to help.

The crash was one of Ghana's worst air disasters in more than a decade.

The helicopter crash claimed the lives of eight individuals, including the Defence Minister, Dr Omane Boamah and the Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.

On Friday, 15th August, an inter-denominational state funeral was held for the eight individuals who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter accident on August 6, at the Black Star Square.

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.