Wigwe’s Helicopter Crash Linked to "Pilot's Spatial Disorientation, Company’s Negligence", Says NTSB Report

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

A year and some months after the former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe and his family last year were killed in a helicopter crash, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded its investigation into the crash, linking it to negligence on the part of the air craft company and spatial disorientation by the pilot of the ill-fated helicopter.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered from monitored American media sources that in the final aviation investigation report, the NTSB said the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).

OTN News recalls that on February 9, 2024, Wigwe died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, Doreen; their first son, Chizi; and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group).

The crash, which occurred in California, near the Nevada border, involved the helicopter with registration N130CZ and claimed the lives of all six passengers on board.

Over a year after the incident, the NTSB report revealed that the “pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC, which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain”.

The report added that the helicopter company’s inadequate oversight of its safety management processes was a contributing cause of the crash.

OTN News furtuer gathered that the report revealed that the company failed to ensure that pilots accurately completed and updated the flight risk analysis, logged maintenance discrepancies, and adhered to Part 135 regulations before departure.

As at the time of filing this report, OTN News could not confirm from the father of the late Nigerian business man if the family will be pressing legal charges against the helicopter company following the NTSB report.