Airbus Helicopters EC130B4 crash near Halloran Springs, CA, United States

An Orbic Air Eurocopter EC130B4 (N130CZ) on a night charter from Palm Springs to Boulder City, Nevada, crashed in the Mojave Desert near Halloran Springs. All 6 on board were killed including Nigerian Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son. The 25-year-old pilot had only 46 hours on type and no IMC experience. The radar altimeter was unreliable after recent maintenance. The NTSB found the pilot continued VFR flight into instrument conditions, became spatially disoriented, and lost control. Witnesses on the I-15 reported seeing a fireball.