The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of former Access Holdings CEO Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and three others, was due to pilot error stemming from spatial disorientation. The NTSB report, released recently, also criticized the helicopter company for "inadequate oversight of its safety management processes."

The final NTSB report, which investigated the February 2024 crash, indicated that the helicopter, identified as N130CZ, crashed while operating under visual flight rules in what became instrument meteorological conditions. These conditions necessitate different flight protocols and instrumentation. Investigators determined that the "probable cause of this accident" was the pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, leading to the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control.

The crash occurred near the California-Nevada border on February 9, 2024, resulting in the deaths of all six individuals on board, including Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.

U.S. accident investigators further revealed that the helicopter company did not ensure that pilots properly completed flight risk analyses, recorded maintenance issues, and adhered to required regulations before departure. The report stated that the pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions, which led to a loss of control and the resulting collision with the terrain.

The investigation also highlighted that the helicopter’s radar altimeter was non-functional before the fatal flight. The report detailed that the pilot had previously texted the maintenance director about an issue with this critical instrument during an earlier flight.