The fatal helicopter crash that claimed the life of Herbert Wigwe, former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, along with five others, was caused by pilot error and lapses in the operator’s safety protocols, according to a final report released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The crash occurred on 9 February 2024 near the California-Nevada border, killing Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, among others.
In its findings, the NTSB stated that the “probable cause” of the crash was the pilot’s decision to continue operating under visual flight rules (VFR) despite entering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), a situation that led to the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control.
“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 noted.
The safety board also cited the helicopter operator’s “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes” as a contributing factor. Investigators revealed systemic failures within the company, including a lack of proper flight risk assessments, poor record-keeping of maintenance issues, and non-compliance with regulatory requirements prior to take-off.
A critical issue identified was the malfunction of the radar altimeter, a key instrument used to measure altitude above the terrain. The report revealed that the pilot had flagged the fault in a text message to the company’s maintenance director before the fatal flight. Despite attempts by a mechanic to troubleshoot the problem, the altimeter remained non-functional. Both the pilot and the Director of Maintenance were aware of the issue, yet the aircraft proceeded with the flight.
“The mechanic reported that the pilot and the DOM were aware that the radar altimeter was not functioning, yet they departed at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers,” the report stated.
Further investigation revealed that no communication occurred between the pilot and the flight operations team regarding the non-functional altimeter or deteriorating weather conditions prior to takeoff for the chartered flight.
The aircraft, identified as N130CZ, was operating under visual flight rules when it encountered conditions requiring instrument-based navigation, highlighting a fatal misjudgment in the pilot’s decision-making.
