The family of Abimbola Ogunbanjo, a prominent Nigerian business leader, who tragically perished in a Southern California helicopter crash earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit on Wednesday.
The lawsuit alleges that the flight, which claimed the lives of six individuals, should have been grounded due to dangerous weather conditions.
Ogunbanjo’s relatives contend that Orbic Air LLC, the charter company responsible for the ill-fated flight, improperly operated the helicopter amidst snowy and rainy conditions in the Mojave Desert where the crash occurred on February 9.
Among the victims of the crash were Ogunbanjo, 61, who served as the former chair of the Nigerian stock exchange, and Herbert Wigwe, the chief executive of Nigeria’s Access Bank, along with his wife and 29-year-old son.
Ogunbanjo was en route to Las Vegas to attend the Super Bowl at the time of the incident.
Tragically, both pilots, Benjamin Pettingill, 25, and Blake Hansen, 22, also lost their lives. They were licensed as commercial helicopter pilots and flight instructors.
According to Andrew C. Robb, one of the attorneys representing Ogunbanjo’s family, the lawsuit seeks answers and accountability for the preventable tragedy.
Robb emphasized the challenges helicopters face in snow and ice conditions and questioned why the flight proceeded despite the adverse weather.
The lawsuit, filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, names Orbic Air and its CEO, Brady Bowers, as defendants, alleging wrongful death and negligence.
Orbic Air has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into the crash.
A preliminary investigation report released in February outlined details of the flight path and wreckage scattered across the desert terrain.
Witnesses reported observing a fireball in the sky, with rainfall and snowfall reported in the area at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit, seeking a jury trial, aims to secure compensation for Ogunbanjo’s funeral expenses and other damages incurred by his family.
Robb’s firm, Robb and Robb LLC, which represents the family, previously represented Vanessa Bryant in her lawsuit against the pilot and owners of the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas in 2020, resulting in the deaths of NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others.
