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Air Force Safety Officer Aids Ghanaian Investigation After Fatal Helicopter Crash

U.S. Air Force Capt. Dena McFadden, 449th Air Expeditionary Group flight safety officer, poses for a photo at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Oct. 10, 2025. On Aug. 6, 2025, a Ghana Air Force Chinese-made Harbin Z-9 helicopter crashed into a mountainside near Obuasi, killing eight people, including the nation’s Minister of Defense. Following a formal request from the Ghanaian government, McFadden and two other U.S. safety experts deployed within hours to assist local authorities in determining the cause of the accident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Silvera)

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Photo by: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christian Silvera 

When discussing U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s (USAFE-AFAFRICA) international partnership mechanisms, most would likely think of foreign affairs officers or bilateral exercises before the safety office. 

But increasingly, the command’s safety professionals have become a key component of tactical consultation and operational independence, quietly supporting partner nation air forces to become safer and more self-reliant. 

“The purpose of the safety office is to implement and oversee safety investigations and mishap prevention for U.S. Air Force personnel across Europe and Africa, that’s twenty-five percent of the world’s land mass,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Konrad Trautman, USAFE-AFAFRICA Aviation Safety Division Chief. “When we export mission expertise, safety becomes a force multiplier.” 

To meet that mission, USAFE-AFAFRICA’s Safety Directorate provides training courses, mishap-investigation assistance, and military-to-military exchanges that focus on air, ground, and weapons safety. These engagements build trust and strengthen coalition operations, enabling partners to conduct missions more independently and with less risk. 

“We’re very integrated with our NATO allies and partners on flight safety,” Trautman said. “If a mishap happens in this area of responsibility, we know the response will be a combined effort with the host nation. Over the last few years, we’ve been actively nurturing our relationships with African countries as well to enhance their capabilities.” 

That approach was put to the test in August 2025, when a Ghana Air Force Harbin Z-9 helicopter crashed near Obuasi in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. Eight people, including two of the country’s ministers, tragically lost their lives in the crash: the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. 

Following an official request of the Government of Ghana, two U.S. military officers were dispatched to Accra to advise Ghana’s Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB Ghana) in coordination with U.S. Embassy Accra and the NCIS Force Protection Detachment. Those U.S. military officers were Capt. Dena McFadden, USAFE Safety Advisor Lead, and Capt. T. Scott Hayes, USAFE Safety Observer. 

“We may not have any ownership or technical data on the Chinese-manufactured Z-9, but we bring years of aviation safety expertise,” McFadden explained. “Our role was to help guide their board to yield long-term safety improvements.” 

Working alongside AIB Ghana, the USAFE-AFAFRICA safety officers provided insights and facilitated recommendations from U.S. Air Force safety processes to augment and support the Ghanaian-led investigation. Working in conjunction, the U.S. officers provided ideas and suggestions, including methods for fact-finding, data protection, and human factors analysis. 

While the U.S. Air Force offered critical assistance and expertise in many areas, the Ghanaian officers led the investigation, including critical research into the cockpit voice/flight data recorder, frequently known as the “black box,” which the Ghanaian officers took to the manufacturer for further analysis and assistance. 

Despite the complexity of a high-visibility investigation in a multinational environment, safety professionals like McFadden and Hayes and their Ghanaian counterparts worked together to assess the factors that led to the August 2025 crash, resulting into remedial actions that could minimize future deadly mishaps, fostering safer, and therefore stronger, partner forces. 

“Safety is universal,” McFadden said. “Every nation learns from loss, but when we share lessons and processes, we prevent the next mishap together.”