AFP HARRY HOW
US Transportation Safety Authority investigators have concluded that the pilot of the helicopter that crashed last year in an accident that claimed the life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant has missed direction.
The investigators relied in their preliminary conclusion on the statements of Robert Samwalt, head of the National Transportation Safety Board and responsible for formally determining the causes of the accident, which he gave in a public meeting session regarding what happened, as he said, “It is possible that the helicopter pilot missed the direction.”
The pilot in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant violated federal rules by flying into fog, where he became disoriented, investigators said. https://t.co/VvZlaNCLiJ
– The New York Times (@nytimes) February 9, 2021
Samwalt confirmed in his statements that the veteran pilot, named Ara Zobayan (50 years), said in an audio message over the radio shortly before the helicopter crash that he would rise to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in order to get out of the dense fog, but investigations indicated that The helicopter was turning left and was rapidly descending.
And he added, “This maneuver is consistent with the pilot’s exposure to spatial confusion in conditions of limited visibility,” and that “he mistakenly believed that the helicopter was ascending while it was landing.”
Bryant, 41, died on January 26, 2020, after the helicopter in which he was traveling, his daughter Gianna (13 years) and seven other people, crashed after colliding with Mount Calabasas northwest of Los Angeles, USA.
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During his 20 years on the stadiums, the Los Angeles Lakers won the American League title 5 times and was named the best player for the 2007-2008 season, before announcing his retirement in 2016.
Source: “AFP”
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