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06:57 PT Kobe Bryant did NOT put his helicopter pilot under pressure to take dangerous risks to complete his doomed flight on January 26, investigators say … but the pilot may have put pressure on himself to continue through dangerous conditions around his famous to please customer. .
Pressure from a major customer CAN lead pilots to make bad decisions, experts say … but that’s not the case with Kobe.
‘There was no evidence that Island Express, the airline broker or the client [Kobe Bryant] pressure placed 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 Spatial disorientation in the moments before the crash, which made him think that the plane was climbing while it was actually descending. As one investigator put it: “The pilot does not know which way to go.”
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 in flight.
During the presentation, Vice President Landsberg apparently pointed the finger at the pilot and said that he must have realized the danger of the weather that day, and turned around and landed at Van Nuys Airport, just a short distance from the accident. .
Investigators noted that Kobe and the pilot had a long professional relationship and that Kobe trusted him to let his kids fly, even if the NBA star was not present.
“This type of relationship he had with the client can lead to self-induced pressure during the en route section of the flight,” investigators say.
But the most important takeaway is this … officials believe Ara Zobayan had several opportunities to land the plane safely BEFORE they experienced spatial disorientation and the plane crashed. They also believe that he ignored important parts of his training that could save the helicopter, even in the last minutes.
Story develops …
The federal agency had to investigate the fatal helicopter crash Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 7 others, will announce their findings at a Tuesday meeting – including the probable cause of the crash.
The National Council for Transport Safety will meet virtually on Tuesday – and it will be open to the public, so we will stream the whole matter live here.
The NTSB has been working on the case since the plane – a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter – crashed in Calabasas on January 26, 2020.
As we reported earlier, the NTSB initially said that preliminary findings show no outward evidence of engine failure – and officials said months after the investigation is disoriented when the plane was caught in deep fog.
The results of the autopsy showed Ara Zobayan, was NOT about alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident … and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in good condition before the accident.
The NTSB said in June that evidence had been found to show that Zobayan thought he was climbing over the fog, while in fact the helicopter was going downhill at a high speed.
In addition to the possible cause of the accident, the NTSB is expected to also make flight recommendations for similar aircraft in the hope of preventing another tragedy.
Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others – including Kobe’s daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester – died in the accident on 26 January 2020.
#TEAR