A new report by U.S. investigators has revealed that the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and three others in February 2024 was caused by a mix of poor decisions and faulty equipment.
According to the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot made the fatal mistake of flying the helicopter through bad weather that required special instruments and skills. Unfortunately, he continued the journey using only visual clues, even when conditions made it impossible to see clearly — a situation that led to what experts call “spatial disorientation,” causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.
The final report, released on Wednesday, also blamed the helicopter company for not properly checking its safety systems. Investigators said the company failed to ensure the pilot completed necessary risk checks before flying and also overlooked key maintenance problems.
One of the most critical issues highlighted was that the helicopter’s radar altimeter — a tool that helps measure altitude, especially useful in poor weather — was already not working before the flight. The pilot claimed he had reported the problem, but it wasn’t fixed. Still, the flight took off with passengers onboard, including Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a former top executive at the Nigerian Exchange Group.
Even after picking up the passengers, the report noted that the pilot and ground staff exchanged messages but failed to talk about the broken equipment or worsening weather.
“This tragedy could have been avoided if the right checks were done and warnings taken seriously,” the report implied, raising concerns about how safety is managed in some private charter flight operations.
The crash happened on February 9 near the border of California and Nevada, shaking both Nigeria and the international community, especially the business world, where Wigwe had been a respected figure.
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