The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States has published its final report on the February 2024 helicopter disaster that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, Doreen, Chizi, and three other people.
The pilot’s choice to fly under visual flight rules even while instrument meteorological conditions were present led to spatial disorientation and a loss of control in the February 9, 2024, accident.
All six passengers, including Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, perished in the disaster.
Herbert Wigwe, the former CEO of Access Holdings, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and three other people were killed in a helicopter crash near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final findings on the incident.
The pilot’s choice to fly under visual flight rules (VFR) even after entering conditions that called for instrument navigation (IMC) was the primary cause of the crash, according to the investigation. Due to the pilot’s loss of control and consequent spatial disorientation, the aircraft crashed into the ground.
Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former head of the Nigerian Exchange Group, was one of the six fatalities.
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The NTSB also chastised the helicopter operator for inadequate pre-flight risk assessments, improper maintenance issue logs, and noncompliance with regulations, among other safety-related infractions. One significant malfunction was a malfunctioning radar altimeter, which was essential for height awareness and had not been fixed before the flight.
The helicopter’s mechanic had identified the problem and made some attempts to fix it, but the altimeter was still not working. The flight was apparently conducted despite the pilot and the director of maintenance being aware of the issue.
“The pilot probably suffered from spatial disorientation when operating the helicopter in IMC [instrument meteorological conditions], which resulted in his loss of helicopter control and the subsequent collision with terrain,” the NTSB stated.
The review also found that the pilot and the flight following did not have a recorded conversation prior to departure regarding the weather or the unresolved technical issue, highlighting a breach in safety protocol and communication.
The NTSB stated, “The mechanic stated that the pilot and the Director of Maintenance (DOM) knew the radar altimeter was not working, but they still left at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers.”
The examination also revealed that the pilot and flight follower “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions” in their message exchange when they arrived to pick up the charter passengers, the board added.
