The investigation team probing the fatal August 6, 2025, helicopter crash that claimed eight lives has revealed that the pilot, the late Wing Commander Peter Bafemi Anala, and his co-pilot, Flight Lieutenant Malin Twum-Ampadu, were highly qualified to fly the aircraft.

Providing details on the committee’s findings on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Captain Paul Forjoe, an Aircraft Investigations Expert, listed the qualifications of the late Wing Commander Peter Bafemi Anala, noting that he was a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified commercial and instrument-rated pilot with international qualifications.

LIVESTREAMING: Government releases report on fatal August 6 helicopter crash

“To rule out any potential human causes, we also examined the qualifications, experience, and competence of the crew. The captain has a postgraduate certificate in safety and accident investigation from Crownsfield University, UK in 2024. The captain was a qualified FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) commercial and instrument-rated pilot from Bristol Academy, Florida, USA in April 2015, 10 years ago.

“Within the Ghana Air Force, he was recategorized in March 2025 as a cat C pilot, ie a pilot qualified to be a captain on the Z-9 helicopter and he had a green instrument rating. In the Air Force, they have categories for pilots from A to D, D being the initial, sort of, and then you go all the way to A. It’s interesting to note that for quite a while, and as of now, in the Air Force, the highest category is cat C so, the pilot was totally competent to be flying this plane,” he disclosed.

On the co-pilot, Captain Forjoe said that Flight Lieutenant Malin Twum-Ampadu was also a qualified FAA pilot with international certification.

“The co-pilot was also a qualified FAA commercial and instrument rated pilot from Bristol Academy, Florida, and he qualified in April 2023. In December 2024, he was re-categorized within the Ghana Air Force as a category D pilot on helicopter type with a white instrument rating,” he added.

Background

On August 6, 2025, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter (tail number GHF 631) crashed into a forested mountainside near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, killing all eight people on board.

The aircraft, a Chinese-licensed variant of the French Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, had departed the Air Force Base in Accra at approximately 9:12 a.m. local time, en route to an event on illegal gold mining in the Obuasi area.

Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter went off radar. The wreckage was later discovered destroyed by a post-crash fire, with all victims burned beyond recognition.

Among the deceased were two Cabinet ministers and other high-ranking officials — a devastating loss that plunged the nation into mourning.

Long-awaited helicopter crash report set for public release

The victims included:

• Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence

• Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister of Environment

• Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, Deputy National Security Coordinator

• Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC)

• Samuel Aboagye, Deputy National Coordinator, NADMO

• Wing Commander Peter Bafemi Anala, pilot

• Flight Lieutenant Malin Twum-Ampadu, co-pilot

• Flight Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah, flight engineer

Watch the video below:



MAG/MA

Watch the promo to GhanaWeb's latest documentary, which uncovers the evolution of ‘kayamata,' an exploitative practice fueled by love charms and manipulation, titled, “The Dark Side of Kayamata,' below: