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 in the Adansi Akrofuom District on Wednesday, August 6, killing several senior government and military officials.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, August 7, Dr. Amoakohene announced that a team of investigators had successfully retrieved the black box from the crash site — a critical step toward understanding the cause of the tragic incident.
The recovery team, made up of personnel from the Ghana Air Force and other military units, began their search Thursday morning. They were assisted by local residents and the Assembly Member for the area, who helped guide them through the dense forest to the crash location.
The helicopter crash, one of the worst in Ghana’s recent history, claimed the lives of Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, and Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Also among the deceased were Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, a former parliamentary candidate; and Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC. The three Air Force crew members — Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flight Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah — also perished.
Preliminary reports suggest the helicopter lost contact with radar while en route to Obuasi, prompting a swift, military-led search and rescue operation.
The black box is expected to provide crucial flight data and cockpit recordings to help investigators determine the sequence of events that led to the crash.
Meanwhile, samples of the victims’ remains have been flown to South Africa for DNA analysis to assist in proper identification.
Source: Adomonline
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