The Ministry of Defence has shared the last images of the Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) moments before it took off from the Airforce Base in Accra on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
In a video tribute, the Ministry showed how the late Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, the then Minister of Defence arrived at the Airforce Base dressed in all white around 8am for the trip.
Dr. Omane Boamah reportedly instructed his bodyguard and the ministry’s cameraman to stay behind because there was insufficient space on the helicopter to accommodate them on the trip.
He shook hands with the crew and waved as the chopper took off.
The aircraft departed Accra at 0912 hours en route to Obuasi but lost radar contact and subsequently crashed in the Adansi area of the Ashanti region.
The video attached below is the last image of the Z-9 helicopter moments before it took off. VIDEO CREDIT: Defence Press Corps (DPC)
The last images of the Z-9 helicopter belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces moments before it took off from the Airforce Base.
The aircraft departed Accra at 0912 hours en route to Obuasi but lost radar contact and subsequently crashed in the Adansi area of the Ashanti region pic.twitter.com/A8haGqirmu— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) August 10, 2025
Around midday on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Ghana Armed Forces, first through a press statement, announced that the Ghana Air Force Z-9 helicopter carrying eight people had gone missing after taking off from Accra.
On board were three crew members and five passengers. The aircraft departed the capital at 0912 hours en route to Obuasi but lost radar contact shortly after, according to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
Then at 2:30 pm, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, at a press briefing from the presidency confirmed that the helicopter had crashed in the Adansi area of Ashanti Region and that all eight persons on board had passed on.
He named the victims and said they included two serving ministers of state and top military officers.
“The government regrets to announce the demise of the following persons in the tragic crash: “Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, acting Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Mr Samuel Aboagye, a former Parliamentary candidate.
The others are Squadron Leader Peter Abaafemi Anala, Flying Officer Twum Ampadu and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. Samuel Sarpong was a former Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in President J.E.A. Mills era, and later became Ashanti Regional Minister and later Central Regional Minister.
Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala Mohammed on his part was also a Member of Parliament representing the people of Tamale Central.
