A final report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed the main reasons behind the helicopter crash that killed Nigerian businessman Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen, their son Chizi, and family friend Abimbola Ogunbanjo. According to the report, the crash was caused by the pilot’s poor judgment in bad weather and the helicopter company’s failure to follow safety rules.

The crash happened on February 9, 2024, near the California-Nevada border, and involved a helicopter with the registration number N130CZ. The NTSB said the pilot chose to fly by sight (called visual flight rules) even though the weather was too cloudy and foggy for that. This caused the pilot to become disoriented — meaning he lost his sense of direction — and crashed.

The report said the helicopter company did not properly follow safety procedures. For example, the company didn’t ensure that pilots were doing proper safety checks before flying. They also failed to follow U.S. flight rules for commercial helicopter services (Part 135 regulations). This lack of management made the situation even worse.

Another important detail from the NTSB report was that the radar altimeter, a tool that helps pilots know how high they are flying (especially in poor visibility), was not working. The pilot had already reported this to the company’s director of maintenance before the flight. A mechanic tried to fix it but couldn’t.

Even after this, the pilot still flew the helicopter to go pick up passengers — fully aware that the radar system was still broken.

The report also showed that after picking up the passengers, the pilot had a phone call and exchanged messages with the company’s president, who was also the flight follower (the person responsible for tracking and supporting flights). Shockingly, they never talked about the weather or the broken radar altimeter before continuing the trip.

The NTSB concluded that a combination of the pilot’s poor decision to fly in dangerous weather, and the company’s failure to enforce safety measures, caused the crash. All six people on board, including the crew, lost their lives in an accident that could have been avoided.

This tragic event is a painful reminder of how important it is for flight crews and companies to follow proper safety rules — especially when lives are at stake.