US helicopter firm may face criminal charges over crash which killed Herbert Wigwe

The operators of the helicopter that k!lled former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, alongside his wife, son, and three others in February 2024, may soon face criminal charges in the United States, aviation industry operators and experts have confirmed.

The helicopter, an Airbus EC130B4 operated by Orbic Air, LLC, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, crashed near Halloran Springs, California, on February 9, 2024.

On board were Wigwe, his wife, Doreen, their first son, Chizi, and former NGX Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, along with two pilots, all of whom died in the crash.

A final report by the US National Transportation Safety Board cited “pilot disorientation” and a violation of flight protocols, especially the decision to proceed under visual flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions, as key causes of the crash.

It was reported that a faulty radar altimeter, which had been flagged during a repositioning flight earlier that day, also contributed to the tragedy.

Aviation professionals in Nigeria now assert that the US government is likely to pursue charges of criminal negligence against Orbic Air before a judicial panel of inquiry.

The panel would review the case and determine the extent of liability and also the extent of punishment applicable to the helicopter company.

Speaking with Punch, Capt Muhammed Badamasi, a retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways, said the matter was already a legal one, noting the state as the plaintiff and the helicopter company as the defendant.

He said, “It’s already a legal matter. The panel of inquiry will determine whether the crash and the resultant deaths were due to a breach of the company’s safety protocols. If so, it becomes a judicial issue, and charges may follow.”

Badamasi explained further that any legal process would be handled in the US, noting that agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration,  National Transportation Safety Board, and representatives from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau may be involved as interested parties.

Source: LIB