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An official investigation into the military helicopter crash in Ghana this past August, which tragically killed all eight people on board, including the Defence Minister, Edward Omane Boamah, and the Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, has determined that adverse weather was the main cause.
The probe concluded that the accident was triggered by a “sudden loss of altitude and lift due to downdraft,” a phenomenon associated with severe atmospheric turbulence, limited visibility, and hilly terrains.
While the 12-year-old Chinese-made helicopter was technically airworthy, investigators highlighted that it lacked essential safety enhancements, such as a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), which could have alerted the pilots to an impending ground collision.
The report also pointed to significant deficiencies in Ghana’s broader aviation infrastructure.
These included limited navigational aids, a lack of simulator training for Air Force pilots, the absence of real-time flight-tracking systems, and crucially, a failure to provide the pilot with necessary weather information along the route.
