A final report from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that poor judgment by the pilot and safety failures by the operating company caused the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Nigerian banking tycoon Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and former Nigerian Exchange Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
The crash occurred on February 9, 2024, near Halloran Springs in California, close to the Nevada border. The ill-fated aircraft, an Airbus EC130B4 helicopter registered as N130CZ, was being operated by Orbic Air, a US-based charter company, when it went down, killing all six people on board.
According to the 31-page report released on May 7, 2025, the pilot decided to continue flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite deteriorating weather conditions that required instrument navigation. The pilot’s decision to enter instrument meteorological conditions (IMC)—such as heavy rain and low visibility—led to spatial disorientation and a fatal loss of control.
The NTSB concluded that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s disorientation after flying into weather conditions that could not be navigated visually. Contributing to the tragedy, according to the report, was the company’s “inadequate oversight” of safety processes, including poor risk assessments, failure to log maintenance issues, and a general lack of regulatory compliance.
Faulty Radar Altimeter Ignored
One of the key issues highlighted in the report was the malfunction of a critical safety device—the radar altimeter—which helps the pilot know the helicopter’s exact altitude above the ground.
Before the flight, the pilot and the Director of Maintenance were already aware that the radar altimeter was not working properly. A company mechanic had tried to fix it but was unsuccessful. Despite this, the crew proceeded with the flight and did not cancel or delay it.
The pilot reportedly informed the flight follower—who was also the company’s president and had operational control of the flight—that the altimeter was not functioning. The flight follower warned that the flight should not take off without the equipment working. Yet, the pilot went ahead and took off around 6:22 p.m. local time to pick up the passengers.
Crucially, there was no communication between the pilot and the flight follower about whether the altimeter issue had been resolved, nor was there any briefing about the worsening weather conditions.
Tragic Final Moments
The helicopter took off under VFR, which requires good visibility, but soon entered poor weather conditions with a mix of rain and snow. Just minutes before the crash, radar data showed the helicopter gaining speed and altitude while veering slightly off course.
It remains unclear whether the pilot was attempting a recovery maneuver in response to realizing they had entered IMC conditions. However, about ten seconds into a right turn, the helicopter began a rapid descent and crashed into terrain, bursting into flames. Witnesses driving nearby reported seeing a fireball and poor weather conditions in the area.
The crash site was located approximately one hour and forty minutes after the accident. Due to high winds, snow, and low visibility, the search and rescue operation was delayed. The wreckage was described as “highly fragmented” and “not survivable.”
No Mechanical Failure Found
Post-crash investigations found no evidence of mechanical failure that could have caused the accident. The engine was operating at the time of impact, and damage patterns on the main rotor and other parts of the aircraft indicated that all systems were working until the moment of the crash.
However, all flight instruments and electronic devices on board were too damaged to extract useful data, which complicated efforts to understand the exact sequence of events in the helicopter’s final moments.
Illusions and Disorientation
The NTSB also examined human factors in the crash. Although both pilots had commercial pilot instructor certifications and were considered properly trained, the agency noted that the pilot may have fallen victim to spatial illusions that can occur in poor weather.
Specifically, the report suggested that the pilot may have experienced the Coriolis illusion—a type of spatial confusion that can occur when turning the head while flying in a constant motion. The pilot might also have misinterpreted acceleration as climbing (known as somatogravic illusion), causing him to descend the helicopter at high speed, mistakenly thinking he was still climbing.
“The pilot likely experienced spatial disorientation while maneuvering the helicopter in IMC, which led to his loss of helicopter control and the resulting collision with terrain,” the report concluded.
