US Board has released an official investigation report on Herbert Wigwe crash.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and three others in February 2024 was caused by pilot error stemming from spatial disorientation.
In its final report released on Wednesday, the NTSB said the accident occurred after the pilot continued flying under visual flight rules (VFR) into weather conditions that required instrument flight protocols.
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“The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control,” was cited as the probable cause of the crash.
The report also placed significant blame on the helicopter company, criticizing its safety oversight.
It stated the operator had demonstrated “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes,” particularly regarding flight risk assessments, maintenance issue documentation, and pre-departure compliance with aviation regulations.
The crash occurred near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024.
All six occupants of the helicopter, registered as N130CZ, died in the incident.
Alongside Wigwe, the victims included his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
According to investigators, the pilot likely became disoriented while attempting to maneuver the helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), leading to a loss of control and fatal collision with the terrain.
“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while manoeuvring the helicopter in IMC, which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the report stated.
Notably, the report revealed that a crucial safety instrument, the helicopter’s radar altimeter, was not functional at the time of the flight.
The pilot had previously texted the company’s maintenance director about issues with the device.
Although a mechanic attempted to fix the radar altimeter, he was unsuccessful.
“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 said.
Despite being aware of the malfunction, the pilot and the company’s director of maintenance proceeded with the flight.
“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.”
Furthermore, after picking up the charter passengers, the pilot and the company’s flight follower exchanged messages, but the report noted they “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.”
