Adverse weather and challenging terrain were key factors behind the Z-9EH military helicopter crash that killed eight people in the Ashanti Region on August 6, according to the official accident investigation report presented at the Jubilee House by Captain Paul Fordjour on Tuesday.
The helicopter, tail number GHF 631, was en route from Accra to Obuase when it went down in the Dampier Forest Reserve near Brofiedro, killing all three crew members and five passengers. Captain Fordjour, speaking on behalf of the Accident Investigation Board, said the crash occurred after the aircraft encountered “rapidly deteriorating visibility” and “severe low clouds” that forced the crew into dangerous flying conditions.
“The weather was poor across southern Ghana that morning,” Fordjour said. “Visibility fell to as low as 200 meters in parts of the route, while mist and drizzle in Kumasi and Obuase created difficult flight conditions.”
Investigators found that the helicopter entered cloud cover—known in aviation as instrument meteorological conditions (IMC)—about 10 miles from Obuase. The crew transitioned from visual navigation to instrument flying but lost situational awareness in the mountainous Dampier Forest area, where turbulence and downdrafts are common.
Although the aircraft was declared airworthy, it lacked several modern safety aids, including terrain awareness and warning systems. “Such equipment would have enhanced situational awareness and possibly prevented the crash,” Fordjour added.
The report ruled out mechanical failure and pilot error as primary causes, noting that both pilots were highly qualified and medically fit. President John Dramani Mahama, who commissioned the investigation, expressed condolences to the families and promised reforms in aviation safety standards.
The board’s recommendations include urgent acquisition of helicopters equipped with modern flight control and terrain warning systems, enhanced pilot weather briefing procedures, and improved Air Force risk management systems.
