A little over a year after a helicopter crash in which ex-NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others died near Los Angeles, experts from the US Transportation Safety Authority (NTSB ) delivered their conclusions on Tuesday 9 February. According to these experts, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed on January 26, 2020 broke the rules by flying in thick fog, which disoriented him.
Ara Zobayan, a 50-year-old pilot considered to be experienced, had announced in a radio exchange that he would climb to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) out of the fog shortly before the accident on January 26 that caused his death , that of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and six other people. But instead of climbing, the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter had started a left turn and fatal descent onto a hill in the town of Calabasas.
“Incorrect perception”
“This maneuver is consistent with a pilot experiencing disorientation in space in conditions of limited visibility”, explained Robert Sumwalt, president of the NTSB, responsible for officially determining the cause of the accident. “He would have had the incorrect perception that the helicopter was climbing as it descended”, his inner ear no longer knowing how to position it in space, Mr Sumwalt added.
Still according to experts, Mr. Zobayan had not filed an emergency flight plan and had chosen not to land at a closer airport to wait for the end of the bad weather conditions. For the NTSB, “The probable cause of the accident is the pilot’s decision to continue to fly on sight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of control” of the device.
Other elements contributed to the drama, such as a probable “Self-induced pressure” the pilot, who did not want to disappoint his famous passenger by changing flight plan or landing to wait for better conditions. The investigators have indeed found no evidence of any pressure put on the pilot by the transport company or Kobe Bryant to agree to fly in bad weather.
The NTSB also mentioned “Insufficient review and supervision” in the safety process by the aircraft’s managing company, Island Express, even though the helicopter did not experience any mechanical problems. The pilot was qualified to fly on sight under federal and transportation company regulations. He had over 8,500 visual flight hours to his credit, including 1,250 on the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, and 75 instrument flight hours. He had no medical history.
Vanessa Bryant, the player’s widow, had filed a complaint after the accident against Island Express, accusing her of having allowed the aircraft to take off despite the bad weather and of not having the necessary clearances to allow her aircraft to fly without visibility.
The death of Kobe Bryant at the age of 41 caused great emotion, far beyond the sports world. In twenty years with the Los Angeles Lakers, he won five NBA league titles and was named best player in the League during the 2007-2008 season. He retired in 2016.
