SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two aviation experts who reviewed newly released photos and videos of Friday's helicopter crash that killed a prominent Nigerian banker and five others said the flight was likely canceled due to bad weather overnight in Southern California's Mojave Desert. .
The National Transportation Safety Board released photos and videos of the mangled wreckage this week as its investigators continue to look into the cause of the crash. The agency's preliminary investigation report is scheduled to be released in the coming weeks.
Weather reports at the time show a mix of rain and snow, and the plane flew over a remote area of desert that likely had few lights for the pilot to navigate, other than the headlights and taillights of cars along the highway.
“If I were in charge, I would definitely say no, thank you,” aviation safety consultant and retired Marine Colonel Pete Field told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Axis Bank, his wife and 29-year-old son were among those on board the helicopter when it crashed shortly after 10pm near Highway 15. Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former head of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, was Also killed. Their deaths shocked many in Nigeria and in the banking sector.
The two pilots — Benjamin Pettengill, 25, and Blake Hansen, 22 — also died in the crash, officials said. A member of Hansen's family said they were grieving Wednesday and declined to comment.
Graham said the helicopter left Palm Springs Airport around 8:45 p.m. Friday and was headed to Boulder, Nevada. Boulder is about 26 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday. Wigwe's destination was not confirmed after the plane landed.
The airline, Orbic Air LLC, declined to comment on Wednesday.
Flight tracking data shows the helicopter was following the highway until it made a slight right turn, heading south of the road, according to the NTSB. The data then shows a gradual decline and increase in ground speed.
The wreckage site, which includes a debris field about 100 yards (91.44 meters) long, shows that the helicopter struck the ground with its nose down at a right bank angle, the NTSB said. Witnesses reported a fire in the helicopter, as well as downed power lines, the NTSB said.
Downed power lines, which may have been difficult for the pilot to see in the dark, may have been the cause of the accident, said Al Diehl, a former NTSB investigator.
“Within seconds, you can get disoriented,” he said.
Authorities said there was a pilot and a safety pilot, but did not say who was serving in what role. Both are licensed as commercial helicopter pilots as well as flight instructors. The Airbus EC-130 has controls for only one pilot.
The accident came just three days after a US Marine Corps helicopter crashed in the mountains outside San Diego during historic heavy rains, killing five Marines.
“It's been a terrible couple of weeks for helicopters in Southern California,” Diehl said.
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Associated Press researcher Rhonda Schaffner in New York contributed.
See also:
California Weather Update: Winter Storm Warning, Gusty Winds, Rain, Snow – February 14, 2024
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