6 victims of helicopter crash in California desert are identified

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

The National Transportation Safety Board investigates the scene of a crash after an Airbus EC130 helicopter with six people on board crashed east of the 15 Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (Courtesy of the National Transportation Safety Board)

Six people killed after a charter helicopter crashed in a Southern California desert area near the Mojave National Preserve were identified on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, said those aboard were a pilot, a secondary safety pilot and four passengers.

Herbert O. Wigwe, 57, co-founder of Access Bank, along with Abimbola O. Ogunbanjo, 61, former chair of NGX Group, the Nigerian stock exchange, were among the victims, family members from his home village of Isiokpo said on Saturday.

Coroners on Tuesday identified the other victims as Herbert Chizi Wigwe, 29 and Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, 56, Wigwe’s son and wife. The pilots, Blake Hansen, 22, of Moorpark, and Benjamin Pettingill, 25, of Camarillo, also were killed in the crash.

The Airbus EC130 helicopter with the six people on board crashed on Friday night east of the 15 Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said on Saturday. The helicopter had taken off from Palm Springs International Airport at 8:45 p.m. and was heading toward Boulder City, Nevada.

The passengers reportedly were headed to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl, according to broadcast reports.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.