By Ghazali Ibrahim 
The tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of former Access Holdings CEO Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, former NGX Group chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two pilots was caused by pilot disorientation and the operating company’s negligence.
According to a final report released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), new discovery unveils as against earlier speculation surrounding the incident.
The crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near Halloran Springs, California, amid poor weather conditions that included snow and rain.
The NTSB said the pilot continued flying under visual flight rules (VFR) into worsening conditions requiring instrument flight rules (IFR), ultimately becoming disoriented and losing control of the aircraft.
The report further noted that Orbic Air LLC, the company operating the helicopter, failed to provide proper oversight and allowed safety procedures to lapse.
These included not ensuring the helicopter complied with federal aviation regulations under Part 135, failing to address repeated radar altimeter malfunctions, and overlooking vital flight risk analyses.
Investigators discovered that the radar altimeter, a critical navigation tool was not functional during the flight. Despite being reported multiple times, the issue was never resolved before the ill-fated trip.
Witnesses described seeing a “fireball” as the helicopter went down, underscoring the devastating impact of the crash.
In response to the findings, the family of Abimbola Ogunbanjo has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Orbic Air LLC, alleging gross negligence.
The family’s legal team argued that the flight should have been cancelled due to the hazardous weather conditions that made safe flying impossible under visual rules.
The incident has reignited conversations around flight safety standards, especially in private charter services, and highlighted the fatal consequences of neglecting aviation protocols.
