The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of prominent Nigerian banker, Herbert Wigwe, along with members of his family and associates.
According to the report, the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s decision to continue flying under visual flight rules (VFR) despite encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which led to spatial disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.
The crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border. Among the victims were Herbert Wigwe, former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc; his wife, Doreen; their son, Chizi; and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group). All six occupants of the helicopter, with registration number N130CZ, were killed.
More than a year after the tragic incident, the NTSB’s final investigation report concluded that “the pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC, which led to his loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain.”
The report also pointed to systemic failures by the helicopter company, stating that inadequate oversight of safety management procedures was a contributing factor to the crash.
Specifically, the NTSB found that the company failed to: Ensure pilots accurately completed and updated the flight risk analysis, Log maintenance discrepancies, and Confirm that the helicopter met Part 135 regulatory requirements before departure.
The report revealed that during the return leg of the journey, the pilot had texted the Director of Maintenance (DOM) regarding issues with the radar altimeter—a critical instrument for safe flight in low-visibility conditions.
Upon returning to the company’s operations base, the pilot discussed the issue with the company flight follower, who also served as the company’s president. A mechanic attempted to troubleshoot the radar altimeter, but was unable to fix the problem, and the instrument remained non-functional.
“The mechanic reported that both the pilot and the DOM were aware that the radar altimeter was not operational,” the report noted. “Nonetheless, they departed at 18:22 for a positioning flight to pick up the passengers.”
Approximately 40 minutes later, the helicopter landed at the airport to pick up the charter passengers. Despite a phone conversation and exchange of text messages between the pilot and the flight follower, they did not discuss the altimeter malfunction or the weather conditions before takeoff.
