FG has received Wigwe’s helicopter crash report from NTSB.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Director-General of the Nigeria Safety and Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Alex Badeh, has confirmed that the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared the final report on the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, former NGX Group Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two pilots.
This Nigeria news platform recalls that the tragic crash occurred on February 9, 2024, when an Airbus EC130B4 helicopter operated by Orbic Air, LLC crashed near Halloran Springs, California.
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In an interview with Punch, Badeh revealed that the NTSB provided the full report to the NSIB, which is a Nigerian government agency tasked with investigating aviation accidents.
The NTSB’s final report outlined the primary causes of the crash, identifying “pilot disorientation” and a violation of flight protocols as key contributors to the tragedy.
Specifically, the report pointed to the decision to proceed under visual flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions as a significant factor in the crash.
Badeh stated, “The NTSB shared the report directly with the NSIB as we are interested parties and in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 protocols.
“We do not necessarily comment on accident reports as they are not meant to apportion blame but to improve safety and prevent reoccurrence.”
When asked if the NSIB was satisfied with the findings in the NTSB report, Badeh emphasised that the NSIB does not engage in commenting on accident reports.
He clarified that the primary purpose of such reports is not to assign blame but to ensure that measures are put in place to enhance safety in the aviation sector.
“The report’s essence is to improve safety across the sector. The NSIB is not the head of aviation in Nigeria,” Badeh reiterated.
Badeh further confirmed that the family of the deceased had been in communication with the NTSB throughout the investigation process, from the time of the crash until the final report was released.
“The family of the deceased has been in contact with the NTSB at the time of the accident till the close of the investigation,” Badeh stated.