Helicopter crash emergency response timely despite challenges – Investigative team

A member of the investigative committee that probed the August 6, 2025, military helicopter crash, Captain Paul Forjoe, has praised the emergency response to the incident, noting that it was timely despite challenging conditions at the crash site.

Speaking at a public briefing to present the findings on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, he explained that first responders reached the site within two hours of the crash.

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“The fact that these first responders managed to get to the site in about two hours was remarkable because the terrain has very steep slopes. It was raining, it was slippery, so it wasn’t the easiest thing to do… we can confidently say the emergency response was very timely,” he said.

The investigative committee, chaired by Acting Minister of Defence Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, was tasked with determining the cause of the crash and recommending measures to prevent future incidents.

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Its report concluded that the helicopter lost altitude and lift due to a downdraft over high terrain.

The Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter (tail number GHF 631), operated by the Ghana Air Force, had departed Accra for Obuasi on an anti-illegal mining mission when it lost radar contact and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.

All eight people on board, including senior government officials and military personnel, were killed.

Captain Forjoe added that the committee’s conclusions were based on a thorough review of technical data, witness accounts, and environmental conditions, providing insights into both the cause of the crash and the effectiveness of the emergency response.

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