How Access Holdings CEO, Herbert Wigwe, Wife, Son, Three Others Die in US Helicopter Crash

The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, has reportedly died from a helicopter crash in the United States of America.

He was said to have died along with his wife, son and three other persons in California near the Nevada border, the United States of America.

Also involved in the crash was Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the Group Vhairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group).

Last night, The New York Times quoted US authorities as saying that a helicopter carrying six people crashed on Friday night near the California-Nevada border, roughly 60 miles south of Las Vegas, and that no survivors had been located as of yesterday morning.

The newspaper also quoted the the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as haven said that “an Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed at around 10 p.m. local time near Nipton, California, an unincorporated community about 60 miles south of Las Vegas in eastern San Bernardino County.” 

The report stated that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are said to be investigating the cause of the crash. 

According to the report, “officials at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department were made aware of the downed aircraft at 10:12 p.m. local time, a public information officer with the department, Mara Rodriguez, said in a statement, adding that the scene of the crash was determined to be east of Interstate 15, near Halloran.

However, Wigwe’s Special Assistant, Faleye Olusola escaped the crash as he was said to have opted to travel by road.

Olushola was said to have flew with Wigwe, his wife, son and former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo from London, United Kingdom to Palm Spring, a city in California, United States.

However, on getting to Palm Spring, Olushola declined to board the ill-fated flight going to Boulder City in Nevada, insisting that he would not travel by Helicopter at night due to the weather conditions.    

He was said to have opted to travel to Boulder City by road and escaped the air disaster, that claimed the lives of Wigwe, his wife, son, Ogunbanjo and two crew members.