Onboard the ill-fated aircraft late Friday were Wigwe, his wife, son; a former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo; as well as two crew members.
The US authorities, in a briefing on Sunday, said reports suggest that a wintry weather condition was among the factors that contributed to the chopper crash that claimed the six lives.
“At the briefing, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, Michael Graham, said officials were at the scene to gather perishable evidence.
The team methodically and systematically reviews all evidence and considers all potential factors to determine the probable cause of the crash,” he said.
“The crew consisted of a pilot in command and a safety pilot. The accident flight was operated by Orbic Air LLC as a Part 135 charter flight. Witness reports of the weather conditions at the time of the accident suggest rain and a wintry mix.”
According to Graham, there were no details on the passengers that boarded the aircraft. He said that “any names will be released through the coroner’s office,” without specifying a time frame.
He also stated that the “helicopter was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. This helicopter was not required to be equipped with those types of recording devices.”
The NTSB would look into the chopper’s airworthiness; maintenance and structure of the helicopter, operations, meteorology, and air traffic control, according to Graham.
“Parties to the investigation include the FAA and Orbic Air LLC. As the investigation continues, other parties could be named.
“The BEA — the French aviation accident investigation agency — will serve as an accredited representative because France is a state of the manufacturer of the Airbus helicopter and the Turbomeca engine,” he added.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in over the death of the six persons.
Prominent Nigerians including ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Femi Otedola, ministers and governors, amongst others, have paid tributes to the deceased persons.
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