4 years ago, a helicopter crash in California claimed 9 lives, including basketball legend Kobe Bryant , shocking the sports industry around the world. Recently, the US Department of Transportation concluded that the official cause of this tragedy lies with the helicopter operator.
The pilot’s violation of aviation regulations was the cause of the Kobe Bryant accident
According to a report from the US Department of Transportation, pilot Ara Zobayan made a series of wrong decisions, leading to him flying the plane into cloudy skies. From there, he became disoriented as he increased altitude, causing the vehicle to collide into a southern California hillside. Therefore, the person mainly responsible for this accident is the pilot controlling the flight.
Ara Zobayan is a professional pilot. However, he disregarded aviation procedures when flying the plane in poor visibility conditions, and also did not have a timely solution such as slowing down and making an emergency landing or switching to self-driving mode. . Some information suggests that pilot Zobayan may have flown the plane under psychological pressure while sitting on it were star Kobe Bryant and his daughter’s women’s basketball team.
Portrait of pilot Ara Zobayan (1970 – 2020). According to the investigation, this man violated regulations of the US Federal Aviation Administration by “flying into prohibited airspace without permission.”
In addition, Island Express Group, the helicopter transport service that controlled the flight, was also responsible for shortcomings in censorship and supervision of aviation safety regulations. Previously, the company representative refused to admit fault for the accident and said that this was “God’s will” and that this tragedy could not be avoided.
Vanessa Bryant and the families of other victims sued Island Express instead of the pilot. Kobe’s wife believes that this company did not fulfill its responsibility to train and supervise Ara Zobayan, which was the indirect cause of his subjective actions when flying the vehicle into low visibility areas.
Families of victims of tragic accidents are fighting every day to find justice for the passing of their loved ones.
A helicopter does not have a black box like regular airplanes, so investigating the exact cause of the accident took quite a long time. However, the US Department of Transportation is still working tirelessly to decipher this tragedy, partly easing the pain of the victims’ families.
The helicopter code “Sikosky S-76B” flew at a speed of nearly 300km/h and fell from a height of more than 1200m. When it collided with the hillside and exploded, debris was thrown around in an area the size of a football field. The victims died immediately at the scene.
The tragic accident that took away a legend, a father, and a basketball role model made the whole world mourn.
According to statistics, in the US, from 2010 to present, there have been more than 180 aviation accidents, including about 20 helicopter accidents. The accident that led to Kobe Bryant’s death is still a tragic tragedy for many fans and families of the victims. One year since the late legend’s passing, the whole world continues to respond to movements of gratitude and remembrance of “Black Mamba” so that that legacy will always live on.