The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has released its final report on the unfortunate helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, in February 2024.
The crash occurred near the California-Nevada border. All six passengers aboard the helicopter died in the crash, including Wigwe’s wife, Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
The accident, according to the final report, was caused by the pilot’s decision to continue flying under visual flight rules (VFR) despite worsening weather conditions.
The aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), leading to the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control.
The report stressed that the pilot’s inability to navigate effectively in these conditions was a significant factor in the fatal accident.
In addition to the pilot’s decision, the report also cited severe deficiencies in the company’s oversight and safety management processes.
“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.
Also, finding in the investigation reveal that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was non-functional prior to the fatal flight.
The report detailed that during an earlier flight, the pilot had texted the maintenance director about an issue with this critical instrument.
“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.”
The investigation also found that after arriving to collect the charter passengers, the pilot and flight follower exchanged messages but “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.”
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