U.S. safety analysts said Tuesday that the pilot of a Kobe Bryant helicopter flew through the clouds last year in what appeared to be a violation of federal standards, and apparently became upset just before crashing. the helicopter and killed Bryant and eight others.
Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said pilot Ara Zobayan was flying under visual flight rules, which meant he had to be able to see where he was going.
Zobayan piloted the plane to take off quickly and almost broke through the clouds when a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter suddenly crashed and crashed into the Southern hills. California below, killing everyone on board.
The “black box” recorders called helicopters, were not necessary.
After the hearing at a hearing to reveal the cause or causes of the accident, follow plenty of fingerprinting.
Bryant’s widow blamed the pilot. She and the relatives of the other victims were also blaming the companies that owned and operated the helicopter.
The pilot’s brother did not blame Bryant but said he was aware of the dangers of flying. The helicopter companies said the foggy weather before the helicopter hit the ground was an act of God and blamed air traffic controllers.
The federal hearing focused on a long-awaited cause or causes of similarity that brought worldwide grief to the retired basketball star, who launched several lawsuits and promoted by state and federal legislation.
“I think the whole world is watching because it’s Kobe,” said Ed Coleman, an Aerryutical University Embry-Riddle professor and aviation safety scientist.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six other passengers were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County on January 26, 2020, when the helicopter crashed with thick fog in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles.
Pilot Ara Zobayan climbed abruptly and almost broke through the clouds when a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter suddenly crashed and crashed into the Calabasas mountains below, killing the nine on board immediately before flames engulfed the wreck.
There was no sign of a mechanical failure and the crash is believed to have been an accident, the National Transportation Safety Board has previously said.
The board is likely to make Tuesday non-binding recommendations to prevent future crashes when it meets at a distance and state its findings about the crash.
The NTSB is an independent federal agency that investigates transport-related accidents but lacks enforcement powers.
It submits recommendations to bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration or Coastguard, which has again rejected a number of board safety recommendations following other disasters.
One possible suggestion after the investigation into the crash that killed Bryant was that helicopters could have ground detection and warning systems, devices that identify when planes are in danger of crashing.
The flying Bryant helicopter did not have the system, which the NTSB has recommended as mandatory for helicopters. The FAA wants it only for air ambulances.
Federal lawmakers have backed the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to order the engines on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers.
Former NTSB Chairman James Hall said he hoped the FAA would need the systems as a result of the crash.
“Historically, obvious disasters have called for the regulatory needle to be pushed forward,” he said.
The machines, known as TAWS, cost up to $ 35,000 per helicopter and require training and maintenance.
Helicopter Association International, which represents the helicopter industry, discouraged what it called a “one size fits all” approach.
President and CEO James Viola said in a statement that ordering special equipment for the entire industry would be “inefficient” and “potentially dangerous.”
Even though Zobayan was flying at low altitude in a hilly area, the warning system may not have stopped the crash, Coleman said.
The rough terrain could have triggered the alarm “going off regularly” and removed the pilot’s attention or encouraged him to reduce the size of the alarm or avoid it, embry-Riddle safety science professor said.
Federal investigators said Zobayan, an experienced pilot who would often fly Bryant, may have made a “mistake” in the angles at which he was descending and banking, which could happen when pilots arrive upset in low visibility, according to NTSB documents.
The others killed in the crash were Orange Coast College basketball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s team players.
The crash has created litigation and countermeasures.
On the day of a grand memorial service at the Staples Center, where Bryant played most of her career, Vanessa Bryant defeated Zobayan and the companies that owned and operated the helicopter for neglected and wrongful death of her husband and daughter. Families of other victims are claiming helicopter companies but not the pilot.
Vanessa Bryant said that Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, and that its owner, Island Express Holding Corp., did not properly train or monitor Zobayan. She said the pilot was careless and negligent in flying in the mist and should stop flying.
Zobayan’s brother, Berge Zobayan, has said that Kobe Bryant was aware of the dangers of flying in a helicopter and that those who survived are not entitled to damage from the pilot’s estate. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied the responsibility and said the accident was “an act of God” beyond her control.
The company also challenged two FAA air traffic controllers, saying the crash was caused by their “series of erroneous and / or neglected actions.”
The counter alleges that one governor unjustifiably rejected Zobayan’s request for “flight continuation,” or radar support, while he was on the fog. Officials have said the controller interrupted the service because radar could not be kept at the height at which the plane was flying.
According to a lawsuit, the governor said he was going to lose radar and communications soon, but radar communications were not lost.
When a second controller took over, the lawsuit said, the first governor did not provide him with information about the helicopter, and as the radar services were not properly terminated, the pilot thought that monitoring was taking place. air.
Vanessa Bryant also filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, accusing witnesses of sharing unauthorized photos of the crash site. California state law now prohibits such conduct.