The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has disclosed that the helicopter carrying Herbert Wigwe caught fire after crashing, leading to the tragic demise of six individuals, including Wigwe, his family members, and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, a former chairman of the NGX.
During a media briefing on Sunday, NTSB board member Michael Graham confirmed that the helicopter crash occurred approximately 90 minutes after the charter flight took off, en route from Palm Springs Airport to Boulder City, Nevada.
The accident happened south of I-15 near Halloran Springs, California, about 75 miles northeast of Barstow.
Graham stated that although the exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined pending ongoing investigations, witnesses reported the presence of fire upon impact.
He cautioned against premature conclusions, emphasizing the need for a thorough inquiry into the incident.
“As far as we know… there was fire when the aircraft did contact the terrain,” Graham remarked.
He further noted that weather conditions, including rain with wintry mix, were reported by witnesses at the time of the crash.
However, Graham cautioned that investigators are still working to verify the exact weather conditions during the incident.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the crash of a Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter near Nipton, California, around 10 pm local time on Friday, Feb. 9. The FAA reported that six people were on board the ill-fated helicopter.
Graham underscored that the investigation process is at its early stages and cautioned that a comprehensive report may take between 12 to 24 months to be finalized.
