The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the tragic helicopter crash in February 2024 that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, his family, and others.
The report, issued on Monday, concluded that the primary cause of the fatal accident was the pilot�s decision to continue flying under visual flight rules (VFR) despite encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). This critical error, according to the NTSB, led to the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation and subsequently losing control of the aircraft.
The devastating crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border in the United States. All six individuals on board perished, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
In addition to pilot error, the NTSB report identified systemic failures within the helicopter operator�s safety management processes as a contributing factor to the accident. Investigators found significant shortcomings in the company�s oversight, including inadequate pre-flight risk assessments, incomplete maintenance documentation, and lapses in ensuring regulatory compliance before departure.
�The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determines the probable cause of this accident to be: 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,� the NTSB stated in its report.
The report further elaborated on the contributing factors, stating, �Contributing to the accident was the company�s inadequate oversight of its safety management processes, including ensuring the pilots were accurately completing and updating the flight risk analysis, logging maintenance discrepancies, and ensuring the helicopter met Part 135 regulations before departure.�
The NTSB report also highlighted that the pilot had communicated a maintenance issue with the helicopter�s yaw damper to the director of maintenance via text message during the return flight. Upon arrival at the company�s flight operations base, the pilot reportedly discussed the issue with the company flight follower, who was also the company�s president.
The findings of the NTSB report provide a clearer understanding of the circumstances leading to the tragic loss of Herbert Wigwe, his family, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, emphasizing the critical importance of adherence to flight rules, thorough risk assessment, and robust safety management systems within aviation operations.
