A retired pilot of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Wing Commander (WG CDR) Kwaku Kekrebesi, has said that it is premature to tell the exact cause of the tragic military helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight distinguished Ghanaians, including two sitting ministers, last Wednesday
In an exclusive interview with Graphic Online's Justice Agbenorsi, he said while weather conditions or engine failure could be potential factors contributing to the clash, it would be too early to make a determination into the matter.
“We have always resisted the temptation to predict the outcome of an accident unless investigations are complete.
Read also: What some eyewitnesses saw before last Wednesday's military helicopter crash in Ghana [VIDEO]
Let the accident investigation finish their work,” he said sharing a similar instance 22 years ago near Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region, killing all seven people on board- four crew members, two patients and a nurse.
In that case, a military helicopter was conducting a medical evacuation mission from Boma to Accra before it crushed.
WG CDR Kekrebesi, who worked as a pilot with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for over three decades said he was not privy to the findings of that investigation.
Black box
He explained that investigators could rely on a black box, to determine the cause.
The black box, contains two key components – Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – that help aviation experts understand the events that led to an accident.
The FDR logs critical technical data such as altitude, airspeed, engine performance, and the flight path while the CVR on the other hand, captures all sounds from within the cockpit, including conversations between the pilots and other audio cues from the flight deck.
He said with records of the functioning systems and what the pilots ddid could be combinedto easily find the cause.
Servicing
Asked whether the Ghana Air Force Z9 helicopter, which was procured by the state in September 2015, had exhausted its lifespan, he said Aeroplanes typically did not have a fixed lifespan.
However, he said occasionally, their parts were always being changed adding, “That's what aeroplanes are called the safest means of travel.
“And here at the GAF, their parts are always changed. When they are due, they change them.
The only thing that remains is the airframe, which they normally do X-ray on.
“They X-ray them to see whether they are still alive.
That's it. So an aeroplane can last for 50 and more years. It has nothing to do with safety.
It's safe, totally safe,” he said.
The country was thrown into a state of shock when a Ghana Air Force Z9 helicopter which had departed Accra at 9:12 a.m. en route to Obuasi crashed, claiming the lives of two ministers of state, a top national security official, three flight crew members and two members of the ruling party soon became a reality.
Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Alhaji Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, were on the helicopter heading for a national assignment in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region when the disaster struck at Adansi-Brofoyedu in the Adansi Akrofuom District.
The other persons on the flight were the acting Deputy National Security Coordinator, Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, who was on his first official assignment since his appointment a fortnight ago; a National Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Samuel Sarpong; a parliamentary candidate in the 2024 elections, Samuel Aboagye; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, the pilot; Flying Officer Manaen Twum Ampadu, co-pilot, and Sergeant Ernest Addo-Mensah, crew member.
The passengers were travelling to the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (RCOMSDEP).
According to military sources, radar contact was lost shortly after takeoff. Eyewitnesses reported the aircraft burst into flames upon impact.
The government has formed a task force to investigate the crash.
