The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, has confirmed the recovery of the black box from the Ghana Armed Forces’ Z-9 helicopter that crashed on Wednesday, August 6, in the Adansi Akrofuom District—an accident that claimed the lives of eight high-profile government and military officials.
In a statement shared via his Facebook page on Thursday, August 7, Dr Amoakohene said a joint team of Ghana Air Force personnel, other military operatives, local residents, and the Assembly Member for the area successfully retrieved the flight recorder during a search operation in the dense forest where the crash occurred.
“The recovery of the black box marks a critical step in understanding the cause of this heartbreaking incident,” the minister noted.
The downed aircraft was en route to Obuasi from Accra when it suddenly went off radar, sparking an urgent response by security agencies and local volunteers. It was later confirmed that the chopper had crashed in a remote area near Akrofuom, with no survivors.
Among the deceased were:
- Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence
- Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
- Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
- Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate
- Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC and former Ashanti Regional Minister
- Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, pilot
- Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, co-pilot
- Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, flight technician
The Ghana Armed Forces has since grounded its remaining Z-9 helicopters pending further investigation.
Due to the severity of the crash and the condition of the remains, samples of the deceased have been flown to South Africa for DNA analysis to ensure accurate identification before the bodies are released to families for burial.
President John Dramani Mahama has declared a three-day national mourning period, during which all official events have been suspended. Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum and the international community, mourning what has become one of Ghana’s worst aviation disasters in recent memory.
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