The Associate Professor of Aviation and Aerospace Services, Kwasi Agyekum, has urged Ghanaians to exercise patience as investigations continue into the August 6, 2025, Ghana Air Force helicopter crash, stressing that aviation accident inquiries are complex and cannot be rushed without compromising accuracy.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of eight people, including two cabinet ministers, and has drawn intense national attention. Speaking on the matter, Prof. Agyekum cautioned against public pressure for immediate answers, noting that accidents in aviation are rarely the result of a single cause.
“Just to let the audience know, there’s no single cause for an aviation accident. Let’s get that truth. It’s a very lengthy process; a detailed process. People should just relax because we want to get it right.”
Associate Professor Kwasi Agyekum
He explained that hasty conclusions could undermine the integrity of the findings and limit the opportunity to learn critical lessons from the tragedy. The August 6 crash has been described as one of the deadliest incidents in Ghana’s military aviation history, sparking calls for a swift probe.
However, Prof. Agyekum emphasised that due diligence is paramount in ensuring that the final report is credible and comprehensive. “No rush to come out with an accident investigative report when you know you have not done enough due diligence,” he stressed.
While the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has the authority to lead the investigation, the aviation expert noted that the prominence of the incident could warrant additional oversight.
“Even though it is within the ambit of the military to do the investigation, in this case, I will not be surprised if third parties are being invited because of the high prominence” .
Associate Professor Kwasi Agyekum
No Timelines for Investigations
He explained that if the aircraft had been a civilian-registered one, the process would have been guided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) standard recommended practices, which require a preliminary report within 30 days.
However, he clarified that such timelines do not apply to military aircraft incidents. “For us, that time bar is not applicable; it will be up to the inquiry committee as to when they will give updates. That update may not necessarily come to the public,” he added.
The Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon. Ernest Brogya Gyenfi, had earlier assured the public of a credible and transparent process. Addressing traditional leaders of the victims, he revealed that the Ghana Armed Forces had secured international collaboration in its investigations.
This, he explained, was aimed at ensuring the highest standards of credibility in uncovering the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash. According to Hon. Gyenfi, the investigation will be “thorough, transparent, and free from any cover-up.”
He stressed that the government and the military leadership are committed to uncovering the truth, not only to provide closure for the affected families but also to strengthen aviation safety in the future.
Similarly, the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General William Agyepong, reaffirmed the GAF’s determination to conduct a diligent investigation. In a public statement, he disclosed that military personnel have been expanding the search operations daily to determine the full extent of the wreckage. “As I speak, personnel on the ground are expanding the search daily because we do not yet know the full extent of the wreckage,” he noted.
The August 6 disaster has plunged the nation into mourning, with tributes pouring in for the deceased, including the two cabinet ministers whose deaths have left a void in government leadership.
Public discourse has, however, reflected both grief and impatience, with some calling for quick answers to prevent a recurrence.
Adherence to Protocols
Experts, including Prof. Agyekum, maintain that while the desire for answers is understandable, the complexity of aviation accident investigations demands time, precision, and strict adherence to established investigative protocols.
In the coming weeks, the focus will remain on the work of the inquiry committee, the progress of the search operations, and the possible involvement of independent or international experts.
For now, officials and experts are appealing to the public and the media to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to follow its course.
Prof. Agyekum’s call for patience serves as a reminder that credible aviation investigations are not simply about speed, but about uncovering every possible factor that may have contributed to the crash.
In his view, the ultimate goal should be to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again, and that can only be achieved by “getting it right” the first time.
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