The chief investigator into the August 6 helicopter disaster, Captain Paul Fordjour, has disclosed that adverse weather conditions caused a significant delay in the Z-9 helicopter’s departure, pushing it back by nearly an hour.
The flight had been scheduled to lift off at 8:00 a.m. with an expected duration of about 50 minutes. However, poor weather across Accra, Kumasi, and Obuasi forced the captain to postpone the takeoff. The aircraft eventually departed at 9:12 a.m.
Presenting the official report on Tuesday, Capt. Fordjour explained that visibility in southern Ghana was severely restricted that morning, with mist, drizzle, and low cloud cover hampering aviation operations.
“On the day of the flight, the visibility was much worse. Eyewitness accounts indicate it dropped to as low as 200 meters at some point he said.
”Weather in southern Ghana was poor on the day, which delayed departure for about an hour. In Accra, conditions were misty with visibility of about five to seven kilometers and very low clouds starting at only 700 to 1100 feet above the ground,”
Although conditions improved slightly later in the morning, the early hours were dominated by haze and heavy cloudiness.
“The weather deteriorated further along the route, with drizzle reducing visibility to about four kilometres and low clouds hovering between 600 and 900 feet. Only the Accra and Kumasi aerodrome weather reports were available to the pilots at the time, leaving them without formal weather information for the stretch of the flight.”, Capt. Fordjour noted.
Witnesses in Brofoyedru and nearby communities reported fog and rainfall, which further reduced visibility near the crash site.
Capt. Fordjour also emphasized that the dense forest reserve and rugged landscape of hills and mountains in the area added to the hazardous flying conditions.
“The environmental conditions in the forest reserve — with its hilly and mountainous terrain — can create turbulence, downdrafts, and other hazardous phenomena,” he explained.
He concluded that a sudden and forceful downdraft was ultimately responsible for the fatal crash.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of eight prominent figures, including government ministers, senior officials, and crew members.
Those who died were: Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampofo; Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology; Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Mr. Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; and Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala.
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