On January 20, 2020, time seemed to stop when news broke that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other will killed in a helicopter crash in California.
Ever since that day, there has been plenty of speculation as to what caused the crash. Some blamed the pilot, others blamed the helicopter company, and some blamed this helicopter itself.
But now, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot experienced Spatial Disorientation prior to crashing.
From TMZ:
“There was no evidence that Island Express, the air charter broker or the client [Kobe Bryant] placed pressure on the pilot to accept the charter flight request or complete the flight and adverse weather.”
So far, NTSB investigators believe the pilot experienced a condition called Spatial Disorientation in the moments before the crash, which made him think the aircraft was climbing when in fact it was descending. As one investigator put it, “The pilot doesn’t know which way is up.”
In fact, investigators say spatial disorientation is obviously a very dangerous condition — and they want more aircraft operators to implement programs to help identify and prevent pilots from experiencing it during flight.
During the presentation, Vice Chairman Landsberg seemed to point the finger at the pilot — saying he should have recognized the danger the weather presented that day and turned around and landed at Van Nuys airport, which was just a short distance from the crash site.
Investigators noted Kobe and the pilot had a long professional relationship and Kobe trusted him to fly his children even when the NBA star wasn’t present.
“This type of relationship that he had with the client can lead to self-induced pressure during the en-route portion of the flight,” investigators say.
But the main takeaway seems to be this … officials believe Ara Zobayan had multiple opportunities to safely land the aircraft BEFORE experiencing spatial disorientation and crashing the aircraft. They also believe he ignored key parts of his training that could have saved the helicopter, even in those final minutes.
One more thing … officials say having TWO pilots may have helped to prevent the crash, but it’s not a sure thing. Sometimes, having a second pilot can lead to cockpit confusion and miscommunication. Other times, it can ensure everyone is following flight rules exactly. The investigators clashed about the impact a 2nd pilot could have made.
