BUSINESSDAY
The federal government through the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has offered its full cooperation to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the investigation of the tragic Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 crash that resulted in the death of Herbert Wigwe CFR, the group CEO of Access Holdings and five others who were onboard.
The accident which involved the Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 occurred on Friday, February 9, 2024, at about 10:08 PM. (Pacific Standard Time) near Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California
Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Former Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Wigwe’s wife, and son also died in the crash.
NSIB is the multimodal transport agency in Nigeria responsible for promoting transport safety and conducting objective and thorough, investigations into transport accidents. Similarly, the NTSB is the counterpart agency in the United States charged with fulfilling the same function as the NSIB.
In a statement by Bimbo Olawunmi Oladeji, the director, of public affairs and consumer protection, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau said following the helicopter crash that occurred on Friday, February 9, 2024, at about 10:08 PM. (Pacific Standard Time) near Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California, the NTSB confirmed the accident via its post on X and 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 charter flight, departed from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m. PST, en route 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 Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, (NGX Group).
“In the aftermath of the accident, Alex Badeh, the Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, established contact with NTSB, by 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.
“5.27 A State which has a special interest in an accident by fatalities or serious injuries to its citizens shall be entitled to appoint an expert who shall be entitled to:
visit the scene of the accident;
have access to the relevant information which is approved for public release by the State conducting the investigation, and information on the progress of the investigation, and receive a copy of the Final Report,” the statement reads in part.
Olawunmi stated that the ICAO’s Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil therefore grants Nigeria, through the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, the prerogative to appoint an expert to actively participate in the investigation.
