The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final investigation report on the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, along with his wife Doreen, their first son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group). The accident occurred on February 9, 2024, in California, near the Nevada border, and involved a helicopter with registration number N130CZ, resulting in the loss of all six passengers on board.

According to the NTSB report, the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s ill-fated decision to proceed with the flight under visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The investigation highlighted that the pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in adverse weather conditions, which ultimately led to a loss of control and a fatal collision with the terrain.

Further complicating matters, the NTSB noted that inadequate oversight by the helicopter company contributed to the tragedy. The report indicated that the company had failed to ensure that pilots completed and updated flight risk analyses, logged maintenance discrepancies, and adhered to the essential Part 135 regulations prior to departure.

The report details a concerning sequence of events where, during the return flight, the pilot had communicated with the Director of Maintenance (DOM) about a malfunction in the radar altimeter. After the flight operations base was reached, discussions between the pilot and the company’s flight follower—who also held the position of company president—took place. However, the critical concerns regarding the non-functional radar altimeter and current weather conditions were not addressed.

A company mechanic attempted to troubleshoot the radar altimeter issue but was unable to resolve it. Alarmingly, both the pilot and the DOM were aware of the radar altimeter’s malfunction yet chose to proceed with the positioning flight to pick up the charter passengers at 18:22.

Approximately 40 minutes later, as the helicopter landed, further communications ensued between the pilot and flight follower through text messages and phone calls, but again, the radar altimeter’s status and the unpredictable weather conditions were overlooked.

The NTSB’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the critical importance of adhering to safety protocols in aviation operations and the potential consequences of oversight failures.