Obuasi Helicopter Crash: Captain Smart Claims 2 Birds Could've Caused Incident, Ghanaians Blast Him

• Onua TV presenter Captain Smart has sparked controversy with his claims following the military helicopter crash near Obuasi
• In a viral video, he suggested that the crash might have been caused by a bird, claiming this happened in 65% of crashes
• The video of Captain Smart making his claim has triggered massive online bashing, with Ghanaians questioning his remarks

Renowned broadcaster Godsbrain Smart, simply known as Captain Smart, has come under heavy bashing following comments about the military helicopter crash near Obuasi.

Omane Boamah, others die in helicopter crash

On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 helicopter crashed and burst into flames in the Sikaman Forest within the Adansi South District of the Ashanti Region.

The aircraft was carrying a high-level government delegation travelling to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) at Obuasi.

Among the eight victims was Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah, who was representing President John Mahama as the special guest of honour after a last-minute cancellation, former Ashanti Regional Minister and NDC Vice Chairman, Dr Samuel Sarpong, and former Parliamentary Candidate for Obuasi East, Samuel Aboagye.

Read also

Helicopter crash: Old video of Ernest Addo Mensah bonding with colleagues emerges

Others who were killed included military personnel Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

Government's confirmation of the helicopter crash and its victims is below:

The burns were so severe such that DNA tests had to be conducted to identify the victims. On August 7, samples were reportedly airlifted to South Africa for the tests.

Already, a three-day national mourning has been observed from Thursday, August 7, to Saturday, August 9, 2025, when it was climaxed with a vigil for the eight victims.

As the nation grapples with the circumstances leading to the disaster and waits for answers from ongoing investigations into the matter, Captain Smart has propounded his theory.

Captain Smart claims birds caused helicopter crash

In a video that surfaced on Sunday, August 10, 2025, Captain Smart suggested that the crash might have been caused by a bird.

Read also

Ashanti Region authorities offer cash reward for return of army helicopter parts taken from crash site

Referring to an unknown source, the Onua TV morning show host claimed that a high number of the world's aircraft crashes are caused by birds in the skies.

"It is a bird that caused the plane to crash. If you look at plane crashes, 65% of them are caused by birds. Modern aircraft are made to avoid bird ingestion, however, vultures and crows can cause severe damage if they get into the engine of a plane because they are heavier that most birds," he said.

In a separate video, Captain Smart also claimed that the crashed military helicopter did not have a radar/monitoring device in good shape.

The video of Captain Smart giving his theory on the helicopter crash is below:

Reactions to Captain Smart's video on helicopter

The video of Captain Smart has triggered a backlash from social media users.

While the video did not capture him directly mentioning the incident involving the Z-9 helicopter, many concluded that he was referring to that incident.

Read also

Farmers upset as investigations into army helicopter crash keep them from their farms

Below are some of the reactions YEN.com.gh sighted under the video.

Prince Barimah said:

"Loose talk, look at the face. He is fading so he needs attention. Bogus."

Mensah Bismark said:

"This man always talks anyhow. How can he know it's a bird 🐦🐦🐦🐦 that caused the accident? Nonfa man like him."

Omane Boamah's final moments before helicopter crash

Meanwhile, a video of Dr Omane Boamah's last minutes before joining the crashed Z-9 helicopter, which took his life, has left many emotional on social media.

As earlier reported by YEN.com.gh, the late Defence Minister arrived at the Air Force Base in Accra at 8 am to join his other colleagues on the flight to Obuasi.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh