 has reacted to the final report released by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and three others.){kind=link}
Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has reacted to the final report released by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and three others.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, the agency expressed reservations about the NTSB’s conclusion that primarily blamed pilot error for the crash.
According to the NSIB, responsibility should not rest solely on the pilot, but also on the broader system that failed to mitigate risks associated with the flight.
“There were apparent systemic issues, and the flight risk assessment should have flagged a higher risk level. While it’s easy to point fingers at the pilot, there was a larger system in place that should have addressed those risks,” the NSIB stated.
The NSIB is Nigeria’s agency tasked with investigating transport-related accidents across all modes of transportation, while the NTSB serves a similar role in the United States.
Over a week ago, the NTSB had attributed the crash to “pilot disorientation” and failure to adhere to flight protocols, particularly the decision to continue under visual flight rules despite poor weather conditions.
Contrary to suggestions that both agencies worked jointly on the investigation, the NSIB clarified that it did not co-investigate the incident with the NTSB. It stated that it was only kept informed of the investigation’s progress and findings.
Just a day earlier, NSIB Director-General Alex Badeh told The PUNCH in an exclusive interview that the final NTSB report had been shared with the Nigerian agency.
However, he declined to comment directly on the findings, emphasizing that investigation reports are meant to enhance safety rather than assign blame.
The NSIB reiterated in its latest statement that it had fully cooperated with the NTSB since the investigation began in February 2024 but was not involved in the detailed process.
“We were not part of the core investigation team. We were an interested party and received updates from the NTSB, who led the probe,” the statement clarified.
The helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Wigwe and five others has sparked widespread reactions, and this latest position by the NSIB raises new questions about the broader factors that contributed to the fatal incident.
The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has reacted to the final report released by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the helicopter crash that killed former Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and three others.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, the agency expressed reservations about the NTSB’s conclusion that primarily blamed pilot error for the crash.
According to the NSIB, responsibility should not rest solely on the pilot, but also on the broader system that failed to mitigate risks associated with the flight.
“There were apparent systemic issues, and the flight risk assessment should have flagged a higher risk level. While it’s easy to point fingers at the pilot, there was a larger system in place that should have addressed those risks,” the NSIB stated.
The NSIB is Nigeria’s agency tasked with investigating transport-related accidents across all modes of transportation, while the NTSB serves a similar role in the United States.
Over a week ago, the NTSB had attributed the crash to “pilot disorientation” and failure to adhere to flight protocols, particularly the decision to continue under visual flight rules despite poor weather conditions.
Contrary to suggestions that both agencies worked jointly on the investigation, the NSIB clarified that it did not co-investigate the incident with the NTSB. It stated that it was only kept informed of the investigation’s progress and findings.
Just a day earlier, NSIB Director-General Alex Badeh told The PUNCH in an exclusive interview that the final NTSB report had been shared with the Nigerian agency.
However, he declined to comment directly on the findings, emphasizing that investigation reports are meant to enhance safety rather than assign blame.
The NSIB reiterated in its latest statement that it had fully cooperated with the NTSB since the investigation began in February 2024 but was not involved in the detailed process.
“We were not part of the core investigation team. We were an interested party and received updates from the NTSB, who led the probe,” the statement clarified.
The helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Wigwe and five others has sparked widespread reactions, and this latest position by the NSIB raises new questions about the broader factors that contributed to the fatal incident.