- Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter crashed on August 6, 2025, killing all 8 onboard.
- Victims included two cabinet ministers, other senior officials, and three crew members.
- Investigation board formed under National Security Coordinator DCOP Abdul-Osman Razak.
- Board includes Ghanaian agencies and receives assistance from the U.S. Air Force.
- Original 30-day deadline for the report was September 24, 2025; no update provided as of September 25.
- Helicopter departed Accra for Obuasi and crashed shortly after takeoff; wreckage destroyed by fire.
- Body samples sent to South Africa for identification.
- State funeral held; President Mahama called the incident an “irreplaceable loss.”
- Findings expected to clarify crash circumstances and offer closure to families.
The official investigation into the Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter crash that occurred on August 6, 2025, has yet to yield an update, more than a month after the board began its work. The crash claimed the lives of eight individuals, including two cabinet ministers and six other high-ranking officials.
On August 26, Acting Minister of Defence Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson confirmed the formation of an investigative board chaired by National Security Coordinator DCOP Abdul-Osman Razak. The panel includes representatives from the Ghana Air Force, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana), and is receiving guidance from the U.S. Air Force. The board is empowered to enlist both local and international experts to aid the investigation.
The board was given a 30-day deadline to submit its findings, which was expected by September 24, 2025. As of September 25, the Ministry of Defence has not confirmed whether the report has been filed or if the deadline has been extended.
The helicopter, a Chinese-licensed variant of the French Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin (tail number GHF 631), departed Kotoka International Airport in Accra at 9:12 am, heading to an event on illegal gold mining near Obuasi. It went off radar shortly after takeoff, crashing into a forested mountainside. The wreckage was destroyed by a post-crash fire, leaving victims unidentifiable without forensic analysis.
Among the deceased were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Alhaji Dr. Murtala Muhammed, Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, NDC Vice Chairman Samuel Sarpong, NADMO Deputy National Coordinator Samuel Aboagye, and three crew members. Body samples were sent to South Africa for identification.
President John Dramani Mahama described the incident as an “irreplaceable loss,” and a state funeral was held in Accra on August 15. Muslim victims Alhaji Muniru Limuna and Dr. Muhammed were buried on August 10, while the remaining six were interred on August 15.
The investigative board’s findings are anticipated to shed light on the circumstances of the crash and provide closure for the grieving families.
