NTSB REPORT: SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, NEGLIGENCE CAUSED HELICOPTER CRASH THAT KILLED HERBERT WIGWE
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that spatial disorientation and operational negligence were key factors behind the helicopter crash that claimed the life of Herbert Wigwe, former CEO of Access Holdings.
The tragic incident, which occurred near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024, also killed Wigwe’s wife, Doreen; their first son, Chizi; former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Abimbola Ogunbanjo; and three crew members, including the pilot.
In its final report released Wednesday, the NTSB stated that the pilot’s decision to proceed under visual flight rules (VFR) in deteriorating weather conditions—which required instrument flight protocols—resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control.
“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while manoeuvring the helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), leading to the fatal crash,” the report said.
The helicopter, registered as N130CZ, had earlier shown signs of technical issues. A critical radar altimeter was known to be non-functional prior to the flight. Despite raising the issue with the maintenance director via text, the report indicates that the problem remained unresolved.
“A company mechanic attempted troubleshooting but was unable to fix the radar altimeter. Both the pilot and the director of maintenance were aware of the malfunction,” investigators noted.
The NTSB further faulted the helicopter operator for “inadequate oversight of safety management processes,” including failure to ensure proper risk assessments, logging of maintenance issues, and adherence to aviation regulations.
The crash has raised fresh concerns over safety compliance in chartered aviation operations, especially regarding risk evaluation and pilot decision-making under changing weather conditions.
