On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Ghana mourned the tragic demise of eight individuals who were on an important mission when the Ghana Air Force helicopter reportedly crashed into a tree in the Adansi region of Ashanti Region.
The disaster has prompted a public demand for the government to prioritize the deteriorating roads in Ghana, since many have become death traps. The development of these roads may have served a beneficial purpose and might have been utilized by the eight officials who perished in the plane crash.
Prior to the August 6 crash tragedy, other aviation disasters in Ghana have resulted in the tragic loss of precious lives. The following chapters will provide a detailed explanation of the episodes and their occurrences.
1. April 24, 1969:
A Douglas C-47A-25-DL, registered as 9G-AAF and operated by Ghana Airways, had concurrent engine failure during its final approach to Takoradi Airport, Ghana. The airplane, transporting 22 passengers and crew, was on a local flight originating from Accra. The pilot endeavored an emergency landing in a clearing, but the aircraft collided around 3 kilometers short of the runway threshold.
One passenger was deceased, while eight others sustained injuries, three of which were severe. The cause of the engine failure is uncertain, with potential factors including gasoline depletion or fuel contamination. No official accident report has been disseminated, and the investigations conducted at that time yielded inconclusive results.
2. June 5, 1970
A Ghana Air Force de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (registration G-301) crashed in dense jungle near Daboasi hamlet in Ghana’s Western Region on a routine trip from Takoradi to Kumasi. All seven individuals perished.
Rescue teams, aided by local residents, need five days to discover and access the wreckage due to dense vegetation and the isolated terrain, situated around 30 miles from Takoradi. The loss constituted a substantial setback for the Ghana Air Force’s constrained fleet. Inadequate documentation of the occurrence complicates the identification of the definite reason of the disaster.
3. November 13, 1978
The pilot and three passengers were killed in a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain that crashed shortly after departure from Port Gentil, Gabon, while being operated by Air Inter Gabon. The twin-engine aircraft, which was utilized for passenger and cargo transportation on a charter flight to the Ivory Coast, crashed in a wooded area west of Takoradi, near the Ghana-Ivory Coast border.
Upon impact, it erupted into flames. The cause of the crash is still uncertain, with potential factors including pilot error or mechanical failure, although no official report has validated the specifics. Limited records, including the identities of the victims, impede further clarity, despite the fact that the incident disrupted local operations and provoked an investigation.
4. June 5, 2000
A Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 (Flight GH200) operated by Ghana Air Link for the Ghana Air Force crashed upon touchdown at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, from Tamale, due to heavy rain and poor visibility. The fuselage was severed in two when the aircraft, which was transporting 52 passengers and crew, made a hard nose-first landing on Runway 21. Seven passengers were killed: Ms. Judith Thompson of PRONET, Dr. Marfo of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ms. Doris Lanz, a Swiss national affiliated with the Institute of Linguistics at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr. Abass Adams, Mr. Paul Rossen, an American, Leading Aircraftman Alberta Ankrah, and Martin Akamfund, a Nigerian. Serious injuries were sustained by numerous others.
The pilots Wing Commander William Kekrebasi and Flight Lieutenant Seth Owusu were among the survivors. The pilots reported inadequate visibility and attempted landings in Lomé, Togo, and Takoradi as a result of the deluge; however, they maintained communication with the control tower. The airport was temporarily closed as a result of the accident. Defence Minister Lt.-Col. E.K.T. Donkor declared that the cause could not be determined at that time, as it was still too early to conduct an investigation.
5. March 16, 2002
A Ghana Air Force Augusta Bell 412 helicopter crashed in the Atiwa Forest near Segyimase in the Eastern Region, Ghana, killing all seven on board during a medical evacuation mission from Nkawkaw to Accra’s 37 Military Hospital. Departing from Burma Camp at 07:00 GMT, the helicopter was transporting two critically injured individuals—a soldier and a Ministry of Defence civilian—along with a nurse from Holy Family Hospital.
The victims were Wing Commander Benjamin Acheampong (pilot), Flight Lieutenant Seth Lartey (co-pilot), Corporals Emmanuel Akoensi, Joseph Bosomfi, and Frederick Adu-Buxton, and civilians Mr. Debrah George and Mr. Victor Nyarko (nurse). Contact with Accra’s control tower was lost, and the wreckage was found after a three-day search. The cause remains unclear, prompting Defence Minister Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor to ground all Air Force helicopters for inspection, with support from the Augusta Bell 412 manufacturers.
On April 4, 2002 The five military personnel were buried at Osu Military Cemetery, their coffins draped in Ghana’s flag. A large crowd, including Vice President Aliu Mahama and a Togolese delegation led by Brigadier General Asani Tidjani, attended. Wreaths were laid by dignitaries, and an Air Force jet flyover honored the fallen. Reverend John Kwamina Otoo praised their sacrifice, highlighting the risks of such missions.
6. January 12, 2007
A Ghana Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crashed at Adukrom in the Eastern Region of Ghana while transporting the casket of Air Marshall Michael Akuoko Otu, former Chief of Defence Staff, from Burma Camp, Accra, for burial in his hometown. During a landing attempt at Adukrom Methodist Park, where family, mourners, and dignitaries awaited, the helicopter grazed a church, struck a Tigo communication mast and a tree, and crashed, bursting into flames shortly after.
All 13 passengers and 5 crew members escaped unharmed, but Air Marshall Otu’s remains were incinerated in the blaze. A military pathologist retrieved the ashes, which were interred in a family vault following a burial service on January 13, 2007, at Adukrom Bethel Presbyterian Church. The cause of the crash remains unclear, with harmattan haze as a possible factor.
7. June 2, 2012
A Boeing 727-200F cargo plane (5N-BJN), operated by Allied Air as flight DHV-3 from Lagos, Nigeria, to Accra, Ghana, crashed during landing at Kotoka International Airport. The aircraft, carrying four crew members, overran Runway 03 in heavy rain and poor visibility, skidded through the airport’s perimeter fence, and collided with a minibus, a bicycle, and a taxi on an adjacent road. All four crew members survived with minor injuries, but 12 people on the ground were killed: 10 minibus passengers, one cyclist, and one taxi passenger.
The Ghana Aircraft Accident Investigation Board attributed the crash to pilot error, citing a late touchdown 4,000 feet down the 13,000-foot runway, exacerbated by wet conditions and failure to initiate a go-around. The aircraft was written off, and the incident led to calls for improved runway safety measures at Kotoka.
8. October 6, 2015
A Starbow Airlines BAe 146-300 (flight S9-110, 9G-SBB) from Accra to Tamale overran runway 23 at Tamale International Airport, Ghana, at 08:31 local time, collapsing the nose gear and sustaining irreparable damage. All 76 passengers and crew disembarked safely with no major injuries.
The runway was shortened to 1,860 meters due to construction, and possible factors like rain or winds were noted, though the exact cause was under investigation by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. The incident, Starbow’s second major accident in a year, highlighted ongoing safety issues for the airline, which ceased operations in 2017.
9. March 19, 2024
A Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter crash-landed near Bonsukrom, Ahanta West Municipal District, Western Region, Ghana, during a routine offshore powerline inspection of the Atuabo Gas Plant. The helicopter, carrying 21 passengers (Ghana National Gas Company staff and aircrew), suffered a suspected tail rotor malfunction, causing it to lose balance and crash into trees about 20 meters from the Bonsukrom road. No fatalities occurred, but three passengers were hospitalized, one transferred to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The Ghana Armed Forces, led by Brigadier General Eric Aggrey-Quashie, launched an investigation with support from the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation. Locals disputed the GAF’s “emergency landing” claim, describing it as a crash.
10. August 6, 2025
A Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District, Ashanti Region, Ghana, after departing from Kotoka International Airport in Accra at 09:12 AM en route to Obuasi for an event addressing illegal mining (galamsey). The helicopter, carrying three crew members and five passengers, lost radar contact, reportedly struck a tree, and burst into flames in a dense forest near Adansi Brofoyedu. All eight on board perished, with the wreckage found charred beyond recognition. The victims were:
1. Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence
2. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation
3. Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
4. Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
5. Samuel Aboagye, former NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Obuasi East
6. Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, crew member
7. Flying Officer Manaen Twum-Ampadu, crew member
8. Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, crew member
The cause remains under investigation, with the black box recovered to aid inquiries. President John Mahama declared three days of national mourning, ordered flags at half-mast, and announced a state funeral for August 15, 2025, at Black Star Square. The crash, described as a “national tragedy” by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, prompted condolences from leaders and organizations, including the UN and African Union.
