Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, spoke with Business Insider Africa in an exclusive interview to help explain the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation of the helicopter crash on February 9, 2024, that killed six, including top Nigerian banker Herbert Wigwe and his family.
“NTSB investigators will thoroughly examine all aspects of what led up to the crash and ultimately will use their expertise to determine the probable cause to see if it was avoidable. It is always a horrific tragedy when innocent lives are lost in an aviation crash.”
Considered a leading voice on aviation law, Mr. Clifford is Lead Counsel in a federal court cases consolidated in Chicago involving the crash in Ethiopia of a Boeing 737 MAX8 that killed all 157 on board from 35 countries. He has extensive experience handling major aviation crashes worldwide. He also has extensive experience with helicopter crash cases, including that of a Brazilian business executive, Matias Machline and his wife Marina, who were killed when the helicopter in which they were passengers crashed in inclement weather in 1994 on their way from New York to New Jersey.
In the interview with Business Insider, published February 19, 2024, Mr. Clifford expressed his confidence in the NTSB’s ability to investigate the cause of the tragic crash and provide the victims’ families with the answers they seek.
Mr. Clifford outlines the general expectations surrounding an NTSB investigation of this nature, expanding upon the timeframe for a preliminary report and key elements that investigators will need to address including the weather conditions at the time of the crash, standard safety protocols, the pilot’s experience, and the general condition of the aircraft. He also comments on the implication of the helicopter’s lack of a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder.
“The owner-operator of a helicopter is responsible for equipping the machine. The installation of a FDR or CVR is an economic decision of the owner. The owner was unwilling to make the expenditure on the devices, which was very unfortunate for the passengers. It would be good to know what the passengers were told about the quality of the helicopter before they decided to take the flight.”
To learn more about Robert Clifford and his experience handling significant airplane and helicopter crashes over the last four decades, click here.