LOS ANGELES, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A helicopter carrying six people crashed in the Mojave Desert Friday evening, killing all passengers aboard, according to authorities.
Two crew members and four passengers departed from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m., and were en route to Boulder City, Nevada, which is about 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Herbert Wigwe, the CEO of a major Nigerian bank, was one of the six people killed in the crash, authorities say.
The death of Wigwe, who led Access Bank Group, was confirmed by Nigerian officials on social media, including World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, was also killed in the crash. Nigerian politician Godwin Obaseki reported that Wigwe’s wife and son were among the decedents as well.
Authorities were notified of the crash shortly after 10 p.m. Friday evening, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.
“The scene of the crash was determined to be east of the 15-Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road,” the statement added.
A meteorologist is working to analyze exact weather conditions to confirm local witness reports of rain and a “wintery mix” including snow, Michael Graham, member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a presser Saturday evening.
The Eurocopter EC-130 helicopter didn’t have a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, nor was it required to, according to Graham.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday an investigation was underway on the cause of the crash.
In a statement, Obaseki, who is Governor of the Edo State, said that he is “extremely shocked and devastated” over Wigwe’s death on X Saturday.
“The tragic incident is painful and heart-wrenching, and we pray for God’s abiding comfort in this profoundly difficult time,” Obaseki wrote.
“Wigwe was a colossus in Nigeria’s financial sector, leading Access Bank to become an international brand that placed Nigeria on the global map of first-class financial services,” he added. “I commiserate with the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Holding, the Nigeria Stock Exchange, friends and associates, and pray that God will grant all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.” — NNN-AGENCIES
