Helicopter Crash: Retired Wing Commander defends pilot's experience

A retired Ghana Air Force officer, Wing Commander Patrick Nelson Sogbodjor, has responded to concerns raised by some social media commentators about the experience of the pilot of the crashed helicopter that killed all eight persons on board on August 6, 2025.

The retired Wing Commander downplayed these concerns, suggesting that Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala’s level of experience was unlikely to have been a significant factor in the crash.

According to Rtd. Commander Sogbodjor, the squadron leader might have been flying helicopters for a minimum of 10 to 12 years, while his co-pilot could have had a few years of experience.

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Sharing his extensive background in military aviation on TV3, Rtd. Sogbodjor said, “For him to be selected as the captain of VVIP flights, he might be one of the best,” and therefore assumed that whatever happened could have been a genuine accident, not the result of a lack of capacity on the pilot’s part.

He explained that pilots always select an altitude when flying and that such choices typically exclude flying at treetop level, unless based on specific instructions.

Meanwhile, in his first public address to the nation on the tragedy, the President announced that the Ghana Armed Forces had initiated a full-scale investigation into the crash.

According to him, an Investigative Board of Inquiry has been established to lead the probe, adding that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been retrieved.

“I want to assure the families and the nation that the Ghana Armed Forces has initiated a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of this crash,” he said.

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“In this moment of national grief, let us remember that we are, above all, Ghanaians, united not just by nationality but by shared hope, shared humanity, and now, shared sorrow.”

The helicopter crash claimed the lives of eight individuals, including Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Others were Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna; former Central Regional Minister Samuel Sarpong; and Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate.

Members of the helicopter’s crew were Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Malin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

NAAB/MA