Systematic failure caused Wigwe’s death – NSIB

The Nigeria Safety Investigative Bureau has responded to the reports by the United States National Transportation Safety Board detailing the cause of the helicopter crash that claimed the life of the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, alongside his wife, son, and three others.

The NSIB, in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, on Wednesday differed with the NTSB’s submission which prominently blamed the pilot of the ill-fated helicopter, insisting that the captain alone shouldn’t be blamed for the unfortunate incident, rather the system that should have mitigated the situation.

More than a week ago, the NTSB in its final report 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.

While countering the NTSB report, the NSIB also debunked claims that it jointly investigated the matter with the American Transport board, adding that it was only updated with the process.

NSIB is the multimodal transport agency in Nigeria that is 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.

NSIB in its statement said, “It appears there were systemic issues, and the flight risk assessment should have indicated a higher risk. While it’s easy to blame the pilot, there is a system behind the pilot that should have mitigated these risks.”