The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that pilot error, specifically spatial disorientation, was the primary cause of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and three others.
A final report released on Wednesday, also faulted the operating company for “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes,” citing lapses in flight risk assessments, maintenance protocols, and regulatory compliance.
Recall that the crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border. The helicopter, registered as N130CZ, went down while operating under visual flight rules (VFR) despite deteriorating weather conditions that warranted instrument flight rules (IFR) procedures.
According to the NTSB, the “probable cause” of the accident was “the pilot’s decision to continue VFR into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of control.”
All six occupants of the aircraft perished, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group.
Investigation revealed that the helicopter’s radar altimeter—a key safety instrument—was not functioning prior to the crash. Despite being aware of this, both the pilot and the company’s director of maintenance proceeded with the flight.
“A company mechanic attempted to troubleshoot the faulty radar altimeter but was unable to fix it,” the report noted. “The pilot and the maintenance director were aware the issue remained unresolved, yet they continued with the positioning flight to collect passengers.”
Also, analysis found that the pilot and flight operations personnel failed to adequately communicate about weather conditions or the radar altimeter’s status before takeoff.
“The pilot likely became disoriented while navigating through IMC, which led to a loss of control and the subsequent fatal impact,” the report concluded.
