KEY POINTS
- The chartered Airbus EC130 helicopter departed from Palm Springs, California, on Friday night
- En route to Boulder City, Nevada, the helcopter "impacted the ground" near Halloran Springs, California, officials said
- The two crew members and all six passengers were killed in the crash
A helicopter crash in Southern California's Mojave Desert killed all four passengers and two crew members onboard.
The CEO of a major Nigerian bank, along with his wife and son, was among the six that died in the crash that took place close to the California-Nevada border.
The chartered Airbus EC130 helicopter began its journey from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m. Friday and was on its way to Boulder City, Nevada, when the crash took place. The helicopter "impacted the ground" near Halloran Springs, California, at 10:08 p.m., according to National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham.
Graham said at a news conference Saturday night that the pilot-in-command, a safety pilot and the four passengers were killed.
Herbert Wigwe, chief executive of Access Bank, his wife and son were among the passengers that lost their lives. The fourth passenger was Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former chair of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organization, offered her condolences on Twitter following the crash.
"Terribly saddened by the news of the terrible loss of Herbert Wigwe , Group CEO Access Bank, his wife and son as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash," she wrote.
Terribly saddened by the news of the terrible loss of Herbert Wigwe , Group CEO Access Bank @HerbertOWigwe , his wife and son as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash. My deepest sympathies and condolences to the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Group…
— Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (@NOIweala) February 10, 2024
Details about the cause of the crash, involving the charter flight operated by Orbic Air LLC., were not immediately clear.
Graham noted that several commuters on I-15 witnessed the crash and called 911. He cited witnesses and said it was raining with a wintry mix when the crash took place and added that the plane caught fire upon impact.
"This is the beginning of a long process. We will not jump to any conclusions," Graham said and also "expressed our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy."
