U.S. transport board: Why Wigwe’s helicopter crashed

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, and five others on February 9, 2024.

The helicopter crash, which occurred near the California-Nevada border in the United States, claimed the lives of all six passengers aboard.

The victims included Wigwe, his wife, their son, and the former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.

The NTSB said helicopter crash occurred due to the pilot’s decision to continue flying under visual flight rules (VFR) despite worsening weather conditions.

The board, in its report released on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, stated that the helicopter entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), leading to the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control.

The NTSB noted that the helicopter company’s “inadequate oversight of its safety management processes” was a contributing factor in the accident.

Investigators found that the company failed to ensure pilots properly completed flight risk analyses, recorded maintenance issues, and followed required regulations before departure.

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“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the NTSB stated.

A significant finding in the investigation was that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was non-functional prior to the fatal flight.

The NTSB disclosed that during an earlier flight, the pilot had texted the maintenance director about an issue with this critical instrument.

It added: “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 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.”

The investigation also found that after arriving to collect the charter passengers, the pilot and flight follower exchanged messages but “did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.”

The Star