The GAF Z-9 Helicopter Crash: Who failed us, our military or the politicians?
This piece is not seeking to open wounds and worsen the grief we all suffered as a nation, especially the families of the 8 who lost their lives in such a traumatic manner, any further.The shock and pain that engulfed that country on the Black Wednesday, the 6th of August 2025, would be etched on the hearts and minds of Ghanaians forever.
That fateful day of 6th of August 2025 started as any other day. By midday, the nation was enveloped in grief and grime as the Chief of Staff, Hon. Julius Debrah confirmed the tragic helicopter crash that had resulted in the death of the 8 high-ranking government officials, including cabinet ministers and military personnel.
Even as family members and loved ones were struggling to make meaning of the calamity that had befallen them, the speculations on the cause of the crash were in full swing. Our media outlets were agog with conspiracy theorists. From “prophets” to seers, spiritualists and superstitious zealots, there was no short of reasons assigned to the crash.
Never mind that just about a month ago, on the 24th of July to be specific, an Angara Airlines Flight 2311 had crashed into a mountain near Russia, resulting in the death of all 42 passengers on board including 6 crew members.
The mystery of Crash of the Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 that crashed into a medical college building shortly after take-off killing all the one of the 242 passengers on board was still fresh on my minds.
However, the GAF Z-9 helicopter crash was the first of its kind in Ghana. No calamity of that magnitude has ever befallen the country. Hence, the uproar, the agitations, the seeming irresponsible and insensitive dissemination of the news, and the careless utterances by people who would be assumed to know better, can be excused. At a point however, the emotions must give way for proper investigations to inform our thinking.
In comes the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB). The Bureau has commenced investigations into the accident, the focus of which is the carrier, the GAF Z-9 helicopter involved in the crash.
Prior to the accident, It was a common truth that the said helicopter was an obsolete flying coffin. In some countries, the state in which the helicopter was described, wouldn’t make it fit for dogs.
Indeed, the poor state of the fleet of GAF helicopters was validated by Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, the Minister for Interior, when he revealed that his late friend, the late Hon. Edward Omane Boamah, who also lost his life in that distortedly accident, had lamented to him severally about the poor state of the helicopters of GAF. According to Hon. Muntake, the late Hon. Omane-Boamah had cautioned him severally to stay clear of the fleet. It is ironic that Hon. Dr. Omane Buamah will up losing his life via one of the very fleet of GAF Helicopters he warned his friend against.
That aside, the air worthiness of the same Z-9 helicopter that got involved in the crash, came into question on two occasions in 2020 and 2024 when it had to force land for poor operational reasons.
It is also concerning to note that even in the poor state in which the Z-9 helicopter was at the time of the flight on the day, it was the only air worthy aircraft amongst the Ghana Armed Forces fleet of 6 Z-9 Helicopters at the time of the crash.
Since it’s manufacture by the Chinese company Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, there have been worrying complaints about the functionality of the Aircraft across Africa and in countries as close as Mali and Cameroon.
So clearly, the chief causative factor of the fatal crash was the carrier itself. The questions that should be asked, and rightly answered to are;
- Between the GAF and Political Leadership, whose advise was it to procure all 5 of the helicopters that make up our fleet today to be Harbin Z – 9 helicopters?
- What informed this particular choice especially when there have been several complains about is functionality and safety?
- Having ended up with these helicopters, why are they all in such in inoperable state? Has GAF been adhering to a proper maintenance culture or it dropped the ball as Ghanaians are typically known for?
- How do we sit back and allow 4 out of a fleet of 5 helicopters to be grounded and as a result putting unnecessary strain on the only one that has been operable for some time now?
- Being the only helicopter that was functional at the time, we all witnessed how much strain it was subjected to during the campaign leading up to the 2024 elections. Some Ministers of State, MPs and some known political figures relied on this same Z-9 helicopter heavily to reach inaccessible areas or beat traffic. Today we understand that some private persons, as confirmed by the musician Kofi King Arthur (Kofi Kinata) had occasion to use this same helicopter for one reason or the other. Why a military purposed helicopter is allowed to become a convenient mode of transport for private citizens begs the question.
Justifiably, we can conduct all the investigations we want. Until we take the investigations to the politicians and GAF and ask the hard questions, we will only be tinkering and playing ostrich.
May God bless merciful to the souls of all 8 who lost their lives in that tragic accident. May hearts and minds rally towards a root and branch investigation that goes beyond the symptoms.
By: Gbedem Dabomsa
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