The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) are working together to reinforce the investigation into the helicopter crash that killed Dr. Herbert Wigwe and five other people.
Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. Recall that Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, his wife, son and some others were onboard the ill-fated Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 helicopter.
The crash occurred on Friday, Feb. 9, at about 10:08 p.m. near Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California, while the NTSB confirmed the accident via its post on X. It stated that it had dispatched its “Go Team” to investigate the accident.
The ill-fated helicopter, operated by Orbic Air, LLC as a Part 135 chartered flight, departed from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m. PST, enroute to Boulder City, Nevada, said Michael Graham, a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board, during a news conference on Saturday.
“Regrettably, the United States authorities have now confirmed that everyone onboard the aircraft lost their lives in the crash.
“The deceased are two crew members comprising a pilot in command and a “safety pilot” and four passengers namely Dr Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, (NGX Group),
“In the aftermath of the accident, the Director-General, NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh, established contact with NTSB, in accordance with Chapter 5 subsection 27 of ICAO’s Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation-Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, which grants a State (nation) special interest in an accident involving its citizens.
The section reads: “5.27 A State which has a special interest in an accident by virtue of fatalities or serious injuries to its citizens shall be entitled to appoint an expert who shall be entitled to.
