Gianna with her father, Kobe Bryant (USA TODAY Sports)
More than a year has passed the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. The news that shook the NBA and world sport occurred on January 26, 2020 when the legend of Los Angeles Lakers He was traveling with his daughter Gianna and seven other crew members. The helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a hill in Southern California.
In the last hours, the National Transportation Board from United States provided a report explaining the conclusions reached by the investigation of the accident that caused the death of nine people, among which was one of the greatest figures in world basketball. As indicated by the chain Fox News, the accident was probably caused by the pilot’s “spatial disorientation”, explained regulator officials.
It is important to remember that once the aircraft hit the ground, a fire broke out: emergency personnel responded, but it was reported that no one on board had survived. The flight departed from Orange County and had to get to the Mamba Academy, located in The mountain, for a tournament in which the team led by Kobe was going to participate and had his daughter as one of the players on the team.
The pilot, identified as Ara Zobayan and who had 10 years of flying experience in the area, he climbed steeply before leaning over and plunging down the slope. In your report, the NTSB said there were initially no signs of mechanical failure and it appeared to be an accident.
In addition to the death of the five-time NBA champion with the Lakers and his daughter, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa also lost their lives; Christina Mauser, who helped Kobe coach his daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.
One of the videos of the Kobe Bryant accident
The US chain also said that an official from the National Transportation Board said that it probably there was greater pressure on the pilot to complete the trip despite the complex weather conditions and that this personal demand was related to his relationship with the client. Faced with this scenario, the agency came to the conclusion that nothing external to the pilot was added to make the trip.
“The pilot took pride in these positions, both with the customer and with Island Express. They had a good relationship with the customer and probably didn’t want to disappoint them by not completing the flight. This self-induced pressure can negatively affect the pilot’s decision making”, Indicated the leader.
The NTSB said that while air traffic control asked the pilot to “identify himself” – it means the pilot put his hand in the center of the instrument panel and pressed a button – the report indicated that they existed. “Operational distractions from your main task of monitoring flight instruments” since he lost his sight in the clouds that were in the area.
“The resulting descent and acceleration caused the pilot to experience a sensory illusion in which he would incorrectly perceive that the helicopter was ascending when descending. The helicopter continued this steep descent. The pilot had no reference to the instruments, had difficulty interpreting and did not successfully retrieve the helicopter”, Adds the report of the Board.
And I add: “NTSB also determined that the pilot flew through the clouds in an apparent violation of federal regulations. He was flying under visual flight rules, which means he needed to be able to see where he was going. “.
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A memorial postcard that was made in tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the Staples Center a month after their death (Reuters)
It should be remembered that that Sunday, the Calabasas area, in California, was completely covered by fog. That’s why the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) chose not to fly its helicopter fleet close to the time Bryant took off from John Wayne Airport.
Anyway, the pilot had a special authorization to fly called VFR (Special Visual Flight Rules, or special authorization of special visual flight rules) and the air controllers warned him at one point that he was flying “too low” shortly before the aircraft crashed, according to an audio that has transpired.
One year after the death of her husband and one of her daughters, Vanessa Bryant reflected on her Instagram account about what happened last year: “Dying is guaranteed, but living the rest of your life is not. So you have to find your reason. Pain is a group of disordered emotions. One day you are laughing, and the next you don’t feel like living. You have to find that reason, although I know it is difficult. I look at my daughters, and I try to get over that feeling for them. “
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