THE United States of America, which is often regarded as a model for global aviation standards, has reported no fewer than 480 air incidents since the death of the former Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Mr Hebert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba; son, Chizzy; and lawyer and former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, in an air crash.
Mr Wigwe, his family and lawyer died on February 9 ,2024. They were involved in an Eurocopter EC 130 crash near Nipton, California, around 10 p.m. local time on February 9. None, including 2 pilots, survived the accident, Economy Post earlier reported.
The United States recorded 22 air accidents between January 23 and February 11, 2024, recording six crashes in the process, according to checks at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States.
Data available from April 29, 2024 (11 weeks after Wigwe’s death) to February 5, 2025, show that the United States saw no fewer than 484 air incidents and 137 crashes.
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This does not, however, suggest that there is no air safety in the United States. It implies that air crashes happen everywhere and it is not an indication of a nation’s development. The United States has hundreds of flights flown by 61 airlines across 50 states and the District of Columbia. Its flights also go to most parts of the world.
On February 5 2025, the FAA reported that “the right wing of Japan Airlines Flight 68 struck the tail of Delta Air Lines Flight 1921 while the planes were taxiing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around 10:40 a.m. local time.” The aircraft were in an area that was not under air traffic control. The FAA temporarily paused some flights to the airport as a result of the incident.
On February 1, five incidents occured, one of which was that the “long-EZ experimental aircraft aborted takeoff and caught on fire while taxiing back to the ramp at Sparta Airport in Illinois around 1:50 p.m. local time.”
A day earlier, a Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30 p.m., after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Six people were on board. The plane was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. On January 30 this year, “an Aviat Pitts S-2B crashed in an open field in Vero Beach, Florida, around 10:35 a.m. local time.”
On January 29, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. The PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. after departing from Wichita, Kansas.
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Also, on January 23, a “Cessna 172 crashed in a field in Columbia, California, around 3:15 p.m. local time Thursday, Jan. 23. Two people were on board.” On January 19, a single-engine Piper PA-32 crashed 45 miles north of Tonapah, Nevada near Mount Jefferson. The aircraft was the subject of previous search efforts and a pilot was on board.
On January 10, “the crew of Eastern Air Express Flight 2241 reported a fire indicator light illuminated while the Boeing 737-400 was parked at Miami International Airport around 1:15 p.m. local time. Passengers exited the aircraft in the ramp area and were bused to the terminal.”
Two days earlier, American Airlines Flight 1979 struck the tail of United Airlines Flight 219 while the aircraft were taxiing on different taxiways at Chicago O’Hare International Airport around 9:50 a.m. local time. The American Airlines Boeing 737-800 was heading to Los Angeles and the United Boeing 787 was heading to Honolulu.
On January 6, a single-engine Cessna 150 crashed in a residential area near Temple City, California, around 7:50 a.m. local time. Two people were on board the aircraft.
The FAA does not often report aviation deaths as it usually indicates that investigations are ongoing.
“Wigwe’s death has shown that the aviation industry is the same everywhere. Some are better than others but the rules are all the same,” said an aviation expert, Mr Max Oduru, who has worked in India’s aviation sector.
Nigerian cases
Nigeria has had near air-crashes in recent times but they have not been fatal. An aircraft belonging to United Nigeria Airlines carrying 51 passengers and four crew members skidded off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos (MMIA) in September 2023.
Similarly, an aircraft operated by ValueJet airline slipped on taxi turn after landing at Port Harcourt airport in November 2023.
In May 2024, an aircraft belonging to Xejet Airlines skidded while landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) runway, Lagos.
In April 2024, Dana Air’s aircraft with over 80 passengers skidded off the runway. On December 11th, a B737-400 freighter operated by Allied Air Cargo freighter aircraft overran the runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) in Abuja, Nigeria.
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On air safety in Nigeria, BusinessDay quoted an aviation expert, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, who said, “There is no need for panic but insisted that Nigeria must work on the recommendations given by ICAO during its last audit.”
The ICAO means the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which is the United Nations agency that helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.
