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The helicopter crash that left Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others dead was likely caused by the pilot’s “spatial disorientation,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said on Tuesday.
Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were riding crashed into a southern California hill last January. They were all flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament in Ventura County when the helicopter encountered heavy fog near Calabasas.
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The pilot, identified as Ara Zobayan who had 10 years of flying experience in the area, climbed sharply before tilting sharply and plunging down the hill. The NTSB initially said there was no sign of mechanical failure and it appeared to be an accident.
Those who died with Bryant and his daughter were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach her daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, as well as the pilot. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.
An NTSB official said there was likely additional pressure on the pilot to complete the trip despite the weather conditions, due to his relationship with the customer. But the agency concluded that there was no additional outside pressure on the pilot to make the trip.
“The pilot was proud of these positions with both the customer and Island Express. They had a good relationship with the customer and probably didn’t want to disappoint them by not completing the flight. and the judgment, ”the NTSB official said.
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The NTSB said that while air traffic control asked the pilot to “identify”, meaning the pilot put their hand in the center of the instrument panel and press a button, it introduced “operational distractions from its main task of monitoring flight instruments. “since he lost his sight in the clouds.
“The resulting descent and acceleration caused the pilot to experience a somatogravic illusion in which he would mistakenly perceive the helicopter was climbing as it descended. The helicopter continued this steep descent the pilot was not referring to instruments or had difficulty interpreting or believing them due to the irresistible vestibular illusions and he failed to retrieve the helicopter, ”the NTSB official said at the meeting.
There have been 184 fatal aircraft crashes resulting from spatial disorientation, the NTSB said. Of those 184, 20 involved helicopters.
The NTSB also determined that the pilot flew over the clouds, which was an apparent violation of federal regulations. He was flying under visual flight rules, which meant he had to be able to see where he was going, the NTSB said.
The helicopter was not required to have a “black box” recording device.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, blamed the pilot. She and the families of the other victims also blamed the companies that owned and operated the helicopter. The pilot’s brother didn’t blame the NBA legend, but said he knew the risks of flying.
Island Express Helicopters denied responsibility for the crash and said it was “an act of God” that they could not control.
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Federal lawmakers sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to make Terrain Detection and Warning Systems (TAWS) mandatory on all helicopters. The devices cost around $ 35.00 per helicopter and require training and maintenance. However, there is no way to know if the device would have prevented the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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