6 dead as helicopter crashes in California near Nevada

Author: Julie Sharp
Published: Updated:
helicopter crash
Credit: CBS

A Nigerian banker, his wife, and son are among the six people who died in a San Bernardino County helicopter crash Friday evening, as the aircraft was en route from Palm Springs to Boulder City, Nevada.

Six passengers were confirmed onboard by the FAA with early Saturday morning reports stating that “no survivors have been located.”   

The Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter, with six people on board, crashed around 10 p.m. local time, east of the 15-Freeway near Nipton, which is just west of the Nevada border.  

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash and circumstances.

Dr. Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe,57, CEO of Access Bank, had professional ties to Nigeria, serving as a Board Member of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and a member of the Advisory Board for Friends Africa.  His wife and son along with Abimbola Ogunbanjoa, a former chair of Nigerian Exchange Group, died in the crash CBS News confirmed.

The identities of the other two people on board the helicopter have not been confirmed.

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