The investigators of the accident that ended the life of Kobe Bryant and eight other people said Tuesday that the helicopter pilot was disoriented because of the fog and maintained that he did not follow the rules when flying through thick clouds, US media reported today.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) holds a hearing today to announce its findings on the accident that occurred on January 26, 2020 in Calabasas (California, USA) in which one of the greatest legends in NBA history, aged 41, died, and Also his daughter Gigi, 13.
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The NTSB detailed that the pilot Ara Zobayan, who also died in the accident, became disoriented when flying through the fog that was that day in a mountainous area west of Los Angeles (USA).
The authorities assured that Zobayan was thus against the norms of his trainingSince when flying between thick clouds and with limited visibility, a pilot may think that he is going upwards when in fact he is losing altitude.
That was what happened in this accident, according to the NTSB, which recalled today that the pilot had signaled to air control, shortly before crashing, that it was gaining altitude to overcome the clouds even though it was actually descending.
The helicopter had taken off in the morning from Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles, and was heading for Ventura County, located west of the Californian city, when it finally crashed around 9:45 a.m. in a mountainous area of the city of Calabasas.
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The player’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, in a complaint accused the helicopter company and the pilot of negligence in the death of her husband.
He has also continued to fight in court with another lawsuit, this time against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office after news broke that some officers took photos of the accident with their personal mobiles and they were shared illegally afterwards.
Kobe Bryant is the fourth all-time leading scorer in the NBA (33,643 points) and a timeless myth for the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won five rings displaying a fierce and tireless competitive spirit.
Bryant’s death caused a stir in Los Angeles and the sports world in general, which a couple of weeks ago reminded him with various expressions of affection on the first anniversary of his death. EFE