Col. Festus Aboagye Demands Full Disclosure of August 6 Helicopter Crash Report
Retired security analyst calls for transparency and accountability over fatal air disaster that claimed eight lives, including top government officials.
- Col. Aboagye urges full public release of the August 6 crash report
- Committee found weather conditions—not human error—caused the accident
- Crash killed eight top officials, including Defence and Environment Ministers
Security Analyst and retired military officer, Colonel Festus Aboagye, has appealed to the John Mahama administration to make public the full investigative report on the August 6 helicopter crash that killed eight people, among them senior government and security officials.
His call comes after the investigative committee probing the tragedy submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama during a National Security Council meeting at the Jubilee House on Monday, November 10.
Speaking in an interview, Col. Aboagye emphasized that transparency is essential, considering the magnitude of the tragedy and the widespread public concern it has stirred.
“I have seen snippets of it on social media. We deserve, as Ghanaians, to see the report beyond the presentation,” he said. “This is a public interest issue. The loss of lives has affected several people and institutions, and it raises fundamental concerns about our preparedness and ability to manage emergencies and reduce disasters.”
The report, chaired by Acting Defence Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, revealed that the Ghana Air Force helicopter experienced a sudden loss of altitude due to a strong downdraft while flying through unstable weather, ruling out human error since both pilots were “highly qualified and fully competent.”
The ill-fated aircraft had departed Accra at 9:12 a.m., heading to Obuasi for an anti-illegal mining event, before losing radar contact less than an hour later.
The crash claimed the lives of:
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Dr. Edward Omane Boamah – Minister for Defence
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Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed – Minister for Environment, Science & Technology
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Alhaji Muniru Mohammed – Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator
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Dr. Samuel Sarpong – NDC Vice Chairman
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Mr. Samuel Aboagye – Former Parliamentary Candidate
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Sqn. Leader Peter Bafemi Anala – Pilot
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Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu – Co-pilot
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Sgt. Ernest Addo Mensah – Flight Technician
Col. Aboagye reiterated that publishing the full report would promote accountability, enable institutional learning, and help prevent future aviation disasters.
