Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has called on the government to swiftly implement the recommendations of the committee that investigated the August 6, 2025, helicopter crash, stressing the need for Ghana to acquire modern and safer aircraft for the Air Force.
The committee’s report, released on Tuesday, urged urgent modernisation of the Ghana Air Force fleet to enhance operational safety and prevent future air disasters. It recommended the acquisition of aircraft equipped with terrain avoidance warning systems, advanced navigation tools, and audiovisual-capable flight data recorders.
The report also called for investment in flight simulators for recurrent training, contracting certified aviation experts, developing navigational aids in remote areas, and upgrading ground support equipment.
Haruna Mohammed said the committee’s recommendations vindicated earlier calls for Ghana to acquire serviceable, modern aircraft and that the procurement process should clearly indicate the scope and structure to make Ghanaians the beneficiaries.
“Once this is a report coming from a technical view, we must get our act right and ensure all the new features of a modern aircraft are incorporated. We must be mindful that we are buying something that will serve the people of Ghana for the longest time, not to serve somebody’s pocket.
“The procurement process should clearly indicate the scope and structure so that the beneficiary will be the people of Ghana,” he said.
The investigative committee was set up after the August 6 crash, which claimed eight lives, including senior government officials. The Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter (tail number GHF 631) operated by the Ghana Air Force departed Accra at about 9:12 a.m. for Obuasi but lost radar contact and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.
Among those who died were Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology; Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Sarpong, NDC Vice-Chair; and Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala.
The investigation, conducted under the supervision of National Security Coordinator Abdul-Osman Razak in collaboration with the Ghana Air Force, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and international aviation experts, found that the crash resulted from a sudden loss of altitude and lift due to a powerful downdraft over high terrain.
