The CEO of a major Nigerian bank, Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife and son, were among the six individuals who lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the Mojave Desert near the California-Nevada border late Friday night.

Access Bank confirmed the tragic demise of Herbert Wigwe in a statement on X.

The victims also included Wigwe’s wife and son, along with the former group chairman of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, as mentioned by World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in a post on X.

The fatal crash also claimed the lives of both helicopter pilots, according to authorities, CNN reported.

The chartered Airbus EC130 helicopter, operated by California-based charter company Orbic Air, was en route from Palm Springs, California, to Boulder City, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, as reported by National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham.

Taking off around 8:45 p.m. PT, the aircraft crashed shortly after 10 p.m. near Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California, with the helicopter catching fire upon impact, according to Graham, citing witness accounts.

Weather conditions at the time included reports of rain and wintry mix.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is actively investigating the crash’s cause and was present at the scene in Halloran Springs, California, on Saturday night to collect evidence, as announced by Graham during a news conference.

Written by B.C. Begley