The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife, his son, and his friend Abimbola Ogunbanjo, concluding that the accident was primarily caused by pilot error and inadequate company oversight.
In the investigation report, the NTSB determined that the crash resulted from “the pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control.”
The crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border, involving a helicopter registered as N130CZ. The incident killed all six occupants, including Wigwe, the former group chief executive officer of Access Holdings Plc; his wife, Doreen; their first son, Chizi; and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
According to the NTSB, the pilot “likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC, which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain.” The report also cited “the company’s inadequate oversight of its safety management processes” as a contributing factor. Specifically, it noted that the helicopter operator failed to ensure pilots were accurately completing flight risk analyses, logging maintenance discrepancies, and adhering to Part 135 flight regulations.
The report revealed critical lapses in maintenance communication prior to the crash. “During the return flight, the pilot texted the director of maintenance (DOM) about the issue. After arriving at the company’s flight operations base, the pilot discussed the issue with the company flight follower (who was also the company’s president).
A company mechanic performed some troubleshooting on the radar altimeter; however, he was unable to rectify the issue, and the radar altimeter remained non-functional,” the report stated.
