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Times of Oman
5 hours ago
- General
- Times of Oman
Why do air disasters keep happening in African skies?
Nairobi: In recent months, Africa's skies have been under intense scrutiny as a series of fatal crashes have raised questions over pilot training, regulatory enforcement, maintenance standards, weather preparedness and other key issues pertaining to the safety of the continent's aviation industry. On August 6, a Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter used by Ghana's air force slammed into a forested mountainside in the southern Ashanti Region, killing all eight passengers, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment and Science Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed as well as other senior political and security figures. Just one day later, this tragedy was overshadowed by another crash, when a Cessna air ambulance operated by AMREF Flying Doctors in Kenya crashed into a residential area near the capital Nairobi shortly after takeoff, claiming six lives — four on board and two on the ground. In January, a chartered Beechcraft 1900D carrying oil workers from South Sudan's Unity State to the capital Juba went down just minutes after departure from the GPOC Unity Airstrip in Rubkona County, killing all 21 on board. In June 2024, Malawi lost Vice-President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi to another fatal crash when a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 plane plunged into the Chikangawa Forest Reserve en route to the city of Mzuzu, causing nine fatalities. Growing reports of severe turbulence incidents, which have left multiple passengers injured during civilian flights, have also intensified the attention towards African aviation. Human error — and hubris Industry experts say the machines themselves are not the problem, stressing that human error, systemic negligence, an insufficient safety culture, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are the factors that, over time, have resulted in this worrying track record. "Airplanes are faithful machines. They are built to serve. They are built so well that [they're] loaded with a lot of redundant components in such a way that before anything goes wrong, the airplane faithfully tells the pilots and the engineers at every point in time," Nigerian aviation consultant Godwin Ike told DW, highlighting the abundance of backup systems in modern planes and helicopters. In his view, aircraft will typically only "fall out of the skies because human operators can be very unfaithful and more often than not, horribly dishonest." According to Ike, there's a certain element of human pride that can still get in the way of otherwise perfectly operational aircraft. Ike insists that taking simple actions like refusing take-off when automated systems detect a fault can make all the difference between life and death, adding that adhering to regular maintenance schedules are also just as important. "Turn that plane in for maintenance that is due. In that way, you can be guaranteed usage without any issues," he said, adding this is not a form of weakness but safety in action. Mind the weather For Felicity Ahafianyo, the head of Ghana's Central Analysis and Forecast Office, the greater danger is less about preparedness and reaction on the ground but rather in the skies. She warns that climate change has affected weather patterns in the higher levels of the atmosphere across the globe, making certain hazards less predictable. "When it comes to aviation industry, weather is a key factor. The first part has to do with the convective activities. That's the formation of thunderstorm clouds. Another one has to do with visibility. Another one has to do with the wind shear. Some areas are getting more rainfall more than usual," she said. "Apart from the convective activities that affect the aircraft operations, there is clear weather turbulence or clear air turbulence, which also affects aircraft operations." Ahafianyo's team provides helicopters with various, crucial information for the safe and proper operation of aircraft. This includes "the vertical profile of the atmosphere from flight level 600 up to 12,000 feet high in the sky, the tropical boundary locations for the day," and "if there could be any shears that may disturb their operations." But not every pilot listens, she says: "I was once an aviation forecaster, and could see that some pilots don't care about the weather." When faced with persistent weather problems, Ike argued, pilots should head to "the nearest airport, and announce that they want to do an emergency landing." However, he added that sometimes pilots decided to follow this standard protocol too late — especially when transporting government ministers and other influential leaders, whose time may appear to be too precious for an emergency landing and interruption of the trip. Africa's negligence of international standards The two analysts highlighted that the recent crashes also exposed deeper political and regulatory failings. Weak government oversight, an inconsistent safety culture, and growing economic pressures from rising fuel prices as well as the high cost of obtaining spare parts all combined to create ever growing risks. Ike also said that while the issue of human error in the cockpit must be addressed, the problem of human negligence on the ground might be even greater. Until Africa's aviation industry caught up to the highest air traffic standards, he said, pilots must be told to treat every mechanical alert and each weather warning as an instruction, not a suggestion. International aviation bodies meanwhile have also repeatedly urged African governments to strengthen the enforcement of their safety standards and to better adapt to growing climate volatility, as each crash further erodes public trust.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Why do air disasters keep happening in African skies?
In recent months, Africa's skies have been under intense scrutiny as a series of fatal crashes have raised questions over pilot training, regulatory enforcement, maintenance standards, weather preparedness and other key issues pertaining to the safety of the continent's aviation industry. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On August 6, a Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter used by Ghana's air force slammed into a forested mountainside in the southern Ashanti Region, killing all eight passengers, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment and Science Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed as well as other senior political and security figures. Just one day later, this tragedy was overshadowed by another crash, when a Cessna air ambulance operated by AMREF Flying Doctors in Kenya crashed into a residential area near the capital Nairobi shortly after takeoff, claiming six lives — four on board and two on the ground. In January, a chartered Beechcraft 1900D carrying oil workers from South Sudan's Unity State to the capital Juba went down just minutes after departure from the GPOC Unity Airstrip in Rubkona County, killing all 21 on board. In June 2024, Malawi lost Vice-President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi to another fatal crash when a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 plane plunged into the Chikangawa Forest Reserve en route to the city of Mzuzu, causing nine fatalities. Growing reports of severe turbulence incidents, which have left multiple passengers injured during civilian flights, have also intensified the attention towards African aviation. Human error — and hubris Industry experts say the machines themselves are not the problem, stressing that human error, systemic negligence, an insufficient safety culture, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are the factors that, over time, have resulted in this worrying track record. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Airplanes are faithful machines. They are built to serve. They are built so well that [they're] loaded with a lot of redundant components in such a way that before anything goes wrong, the airplane faithfully tells the pilots and the engineers at every point in time," Nigerian aviation consultant Godwin Ike told DW, highlighting the abundance of backup systems in modern planes and helicopters. In his view, aircraft will typically only "fall out of the skies because human operators can be very unfaithful and more often than not, horribly dishonest." According to Ike, there's a certain element of human pride that can still get in the way of otherwise perfectly operational aircraft. Ike insists that taking simple actions like refusing take-off when automated systems detect a fault can make all the difference between life and death, adding that adhering to regular maintenance schedules are also just as important. "Turn that plane in for maintenance that is due. In that way, you can be guaranteed usage without any issues," he said, adding this is not a form of weakness but safety in action. Mind the weather For Felicity Ahafianyo, the head of Ghana's Central Analysis and Forecast Office, the greater danger is less about preparedness and reaction on the ground but rather in the skies. She warns that climate change has affected weather patterns in the higher levels of the atmosphere across the globe, making certain hazards less predictable. "When it comes to aviation industry, weather is a key factor. The first part has to do with the convective activities. That's the formation of thunderstorm clouds. Another one has to do with visibility. Another one has to do with the wind shear. Some areas are getting more rainfall more than usual," she said. "Apart from the convective activities that affect the aircraft operations, there is clear weather turbulence or clear air turbulence, which also affects aircraft operations." Ahafianyo's team provides helicopters with various, crucial information for the safe and proper operation of aircraft. This includes "the vertical profile of the atmosphere from flight level 600 up to 12,000 feet high in the sky, the tropical boundary locations for the day," and "if there could be any shears that may disturb their operations." But not every pilot listens, she says: "I was once an aviation forecaster, and could see that some pilots don't care about the weather." When faced with persistent weather problems, Ike argued, pilots should head to "the nearest airport, and announce that they want to do an emergency landing." However, he added that sometimes pilots decided to follow this standard protocol too late — especially when transporting government ministers and other influential leaders, whose time may appear to be too precious for an emergency landing and interruption of the trip. Africa's negligence of international standards The two analysts highlighted that the recent crashes also exposed deeper political and regulatory failings. Weak government oversight, an inconsistent safety culture, and growing economic pressures from rising fuel prices as well as the high cost of obtaining spare parts all combined to create ever growing risks. Ike also said that while the issue of human error in the cockpit must be addressed, the problem of human negligence on the ground might be even greater. Until Africa's aviation industry caught up to the highest air traffic standards, he said, pilots must be told to treat every mechanical alert and each weather warning as an instruction, not a suggestion. International aviation bodies meanwhile have also repeatedly urged African governments to strengthen the enforcement of their safety standards and to better adapt to growing climate volatility, as each crash further erodes public trust.
DW
a day ago
- General
- DW
Why do air disasters keep happening in African skies? – DW – 08/18/2025
From Ghana's deady crash to Kenya's mid-air tragedies, experts say that negligence, weak oversight and climate chaos are putting more and more passengers at risk. Above all, however, there's the human element. In recent months, Africa's skies have been under intense scrutiny as a series of fatal crashes have raised questions over pilot training, regulatory enforcement, maintenance standards, weather preparedness and other key issues pertaining to the safety of continent's aviation industry. On August 6, a Harbin Z-9EH military helicopter used by Ghana's air force slammed into a forested mountainside in the Ashanti region, killing all eight passengers aboard, including Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Environment and Science Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed as well as other senior political and security figures. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Just one day later, this tragedy was overshadowed by another crash, when a Cessna air ambulance operated by AMREF Flying Doctors in Kenya crashed into a residential area near Nairobi shortly after takeoff, claiming six lives — four on board and two on the ground. Earlier in the year, a chartered Beechcraft 1900D carrying oil workers from South Sudan's Unity State to Juba in January went down just minutes after departure from the GPOC Unity Airstrip in Rubkona County, killing all 21 on board. In June last year, Malawi lost Vice-President Saulos Chilima and former First Lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi to another fatal crash when a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 plane plunged into the Chikangawa Forest Reserve en route to Mzuzu, with a total of nine fatalities. Meanwhile, there are growing reports of severe turbulence incidents which have left multiple passengers injured during civilian flights, which have only intensified the attention that is being paid to what it happening in African skies. Industry experts say the machines themselves are not the problem, stressing that human error, systemic negligence, an insufficient safety culture, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are the factors that, over time, have resulted in this worrying track record. "Airplanes are faithful machines. They are built to serve. They are built so well that [they're] loaded with a lot of redundant components in such a way that before anything goes wrong, the airplane faithfully tells the pilots and the engineers at every point in time," Nigerian aviation consultant Godwin Ike told DW, highlighting the abundance of backup systems in modern planes and helicopters. In his view, aircraft will typically only "fall off the skies because human operators can be very unfaithful and more often than not, horribly dishonest." According to Ike, there's a certain element of human pride that can still get in the way of otherwise perfectly operational aircraft: Ike insists that taking simple actions like refusing take-off when automated systems detect a fault can make all the difference between life and death, adding that following through on regular maintenance schedules is also just as important. "Turn that plane in for that maintenance that is due. In that way, you can be guaranteed usage without any issues," he explain, adding that this is not a form of weakness but safety in action, For Felicity Ahafianyo, the head of Ghana's Central Analysis and Forecast Office, the greater danger is less about preparedness and reaction on the ground but rather in the skies: she warns that climate change has had an effect on weather patterns in the higher levels of the athmosphere across the globe, making certain hazards less predictable. "When it comes to aviation industry, weather is a key factor. ... The first part has to do with the convective activities. That's the formation of thunderstorm clouds. Another one has to do with visibility. Another one has to do with the wind shear. Some areas are getting more rainfall more than usual, and some are getting less than the usual," she noted. "Apart from the convective activities that affect the aircraft operations, there is clear weather turbulence or clear air turbulence, which also affects aircraft operations." Ahafianyo's team is in charge of providing helicopters with various pieces of information that are crucial for the safe and proper operation of aircraft, such as "the vertical profile of the atmosphere from flight level 600 up to 12,000 feet high in the sky" as well as "the tropical boundary locations for the day" and "if there could be any shears that may disturb their operations." But not every pilot listens, she underlines: "I was once an aviation forecaster, and could see that some pilots don't care about the weather," she said. Godwin Ike agrees; If there is a persistent problem in the skies that is related to the weather conditions, pilots should just head to "the nearest airport, make contact on radio with the airport, and announce that they want to do an emergency landing," he explains. However, he adds that by the time some pilots agree to follow this standard protocol, it might already be too late — especially in such cases where they're transporting precious cargo such government ministers and other influential leaders, whose time may appear to be more precious than anything else. The two analysts highlight that the recent events that have befallen Africa's aviation sector also expose deeper political and regulatory failings. Weak government oversight, an inconsistent safety culture, and growing economic pressures from rising fuel prices to the high cost of obtaining spare parts, all combine to creating ever-growing risks. Ike says while the issue of human error in the cockpit must be addressed, the problem of human negligence on the ground might even be greater. Until Africa's aviation industry catches up to the highest air traffic standards, Ike believes that pilots must be told to treat every mechanical alert and each weather warning as an instruction, not as a suggestion. International aviation bodies meanwhile have also repeatedly urged African governments to strengthen the enforcement oftheir safety standards and to better adapt to growing climate volatility, as each crash further erodes public trust. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Al-Ahram Weekly
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt condoles Ghana over victims of helicopter crash in Ashanti region - Foreign Affairs
Egypt extended Friday its deepest condolences to Ghana amid a helicopter crash in the southern Ashanti region, which claimed the lives of all eight people on board, among them the defense and environment ministers. Related Two Ghana ministers killed in helicopter crash According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Egypt expressed its full solidarity with Ghana, extending its condolences to the victims' families. On Wednesday, a Z9 air force helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, went down in a forest in the south while en route to an event on illegal mining, a major environmental issue in the West African country. Ghana's Defence Minister, Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were both killed in the crash. The Ghanaian Armed Forces said investigations had been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ghana helicopter crash: President John Mahama promises full investigation
Ghana's President John Mahama has promised a full investigation into Wednesday's helicopter crash that killed two government ministers and six other Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, 50, were among those killed when a military aircraft crashed in the central Ashanti a televised address to the nation, Mahama said the crash represented "a personal loss" for him."I shared a bond with many of those who died. Our nation is grieving," he said. The Z9 helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, came down in a dense forest as it was flying from the capital, Accra, to the town of Obuasi for an event to tackle illegal mining. There were no bodies of the eight deceased have been recovered from the crash site, and samples have been sent to South Africa for forensic identification and Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister Alhaji Muniru Mohammed was also among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress party.A state funeral will be held on 15 August for the victims, AFP reported. What caused the crash? Authorities have not confirmed the cause of the crash but Mahama confirmed that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders had been retrieved and that Ghana's armed forces had "initiated a full and transparent investigation".Ghana's meteorological agency had forecast unusually cold weather for August, with recent rains and light showers causing foggy conditions in many forest areas. Local farmers near the crash site reported morning fog as the helicopter flew eyewitness told the BBC the helicopter was flying at an "unusually low altitude" and the weather was bad. He said he heard the sound of the helicopter passing by, followed by a "loud sound" and then a "bang". "That's when I realised that the helicopter had exploded. So I hurried to the place to see if I could find survivors," he said. The farmer said when he got to the scene there was "no-one to be rescued".This is the most deadly of three separate emergency incidents involving Ghana Air Force helicopters in recent 2020, a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter made an emergency landing near Tamale Airport, and last year, another Ghana Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing at Bonsukrom in Ghana's Western Region. Three days of national mourning Many Ghanaians are shocked by the news and are still struggling to come to terms with the news. Images purportedly showing the charred remains of the helicopter have been circulating on social Mahama has suspended all his scheduled activities for the rest of the week and declared three days of mourning starting from country's flags are flying at half-mast. The crew members were named as Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. Who was Edward Omane Boamah? Boamah served under Mahama's previous government as communications minister and before that he was minister of environment. As defence minster he tackled jihadist activity that was brewing in the northern border in Burkina 2022, a France-based NGO, Promediation, said its research showed that jihadist groups had recruited between 200 and 300 young in the area has also been on the rise, with concerns that jihadists may be trying to exploit communal in-fighting between rival communities in northern Ghana. Boamah's book A Peaceful Man In An African Democracy, about former president John Atta Mills, was due to come out later in the year. Who was Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed? Muhammed was at the forefront of the battle against illegal gold mining, which has wrecked the environment and contaminated rivers and lakes. Protests against the practice, known locally as Galamsey, peaked during Mahama's run for the presidency last year. Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
