The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on the February 2024 helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO Herbert Wigwe, his family, and others, attributing the accident to the pilot’s decision to fly under visual flight rules despite deteriorating weather conditions.
The accident was attributed to the pilot’s decision to fly under visual flight rules despite deteriorating weather conditions, resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control.
The helicopter crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border, claiming the lives of all six passengers, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
The NTSB report identified inadequate safety management processes at the helicopter company as a contributing factor in the accident, citing failures in pilot risk analysis, maintenance record-keeping, and regulatory compliance.
“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC [instrument meteorological conditions], which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the report stated.
A significant investigation finding revealed that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was inoperative before the fatal flight, with the pilot having previously texted the maintenance director about an issue with the instrument during an earlier flight.
“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 noted.
“The mechanic reported that the pilot and the DOM [director of maintenance] were aware that the radar altimeter was not functioning, yet they departed at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers.”
