The acting Commissioner of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB), Ghana, John Mmeb Kunyan Wumborti, has given assurance that the country’s airspace remains the safest in Africa despite the recent military helicopter crash near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently rated Ghana’s aviation safety as the best in Africa, scoring 89 per cent after a safety audit of the country’s aviation sector.

He explained that the government and its agencies, including the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), AIB Ghana and other relevant institutions, continue to advance best aviation protocols across the country.

Mr Wumborti said, “Someone walked up to me recently and said he wanted to travel but was afraid to sit in an aircraft because of what happened with the helicopter crash near Obuasi.”

“But I assured him that a lot of work is often invested before an aircraft takes off, so passengers should be assured that they have a 99.99 per cent chance of getting to their destinations.

“We also need to allay the fears of citizens that when they see an aircraft in the air, they should not be afraid it will not fall on them,” he said at a press briefing in Accra last Tuesday.

The context

The commissioner’s remarks were to allay fears of some citizens who were frightened to travel by air following the Z-9 military helicopter crash, which occurred on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at Adansi Brofeyedu in the Adansi Akrofuom District in Ashanti.

The incidents claimed eight lives, including two cabinet ministers (Defence and Environment, Science, Technology ministers).

The acting Minister of Defence, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, last Monday announced that the board of enquiry set up to investigate the crash had started work.

The board is chaired by the National Security Coordinator, with members drawn from the Ghana Air Force and AIB Ghana, and the board has a mandate to complete its work in 30 days.

Standards

Mr Wumborti further said that AIB Ghana operated strictly in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) to ensure that its operations meet the highest standards of independence, objectivity and professionalism.

He said they do not investigate military aircraft accidents or incidents, except with the express approval of the minister responsible.

The bureau is an autonomous and independent institution in the aviation industry, separated from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.

The acting commissioner added that the institution was listed as part of the board to investigate the helicopter crash.

“Our process includes collecting factual information, verifying and analysing it, establishing findings, determining the contributory factors that brought about the accident and formulating conclusions,” he said.

The briefing was, therefore, to enable the commissioner to outline the bureau’s responsibilities, contribution to aviation safety and the importance of its work in strengthening the aviation sector.