Kobe Bryant helicopter pilot had spatial disorientation in deadly crash: NTSB

Fox Television 11 Los Angeles ^ | February 9, 2021 | Kelli Johnson

[L.A.Justice]

WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board revealed the likely cause of the deadly helicopter crash that took the lives of nine Southern California residents, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter on Tuesday.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, the NTSB was critical of veteran pilot Ara Zobayan's actions in the final moments of the flight from when the aircraft entered the Van Nuys airspace to when it collided with the hilly terrain in Calabasas.

"There were opportunities along the way to have reversed the course and prevented this crash by simply landing," NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said.

In the 13 findings in the investigation, the NTSB highlighted its seventh, which states the crash was likely caused by the pilot’s decision to continue the flight due to self-induced pressure to fulfill his client’s travel needs, lack of an alternative plan and plan-continue bias.

[L.A.Justice]

An NTSB official described the spatial disorientation Zobayan likely experienced in the clouds the moments before taking a left into a Calabasas hillside in the Santa Monica mountains. Notably, Zobayan was not authorized to fly in heavy clouds.

The NTSB said Zobayan experienced an illusion called "The Leans," which gives a pilot the perception of flying straight and level when actually in a turn.

Investigators focused heavily on the moments of the flight that occured after Zobayan entered the Van Nuys airspace and said his actions "were not consistent with his training." Zobayan was an experienced pilot who logged 8,577 hours of flying. He was also up-to-date on his certifications and was qualified to fly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

I guess the pilot really screwed up...

[Yorlik803]

That happened to JFK Jr. Lost orientation and flew into the sea.

[SuperLuminal]

No Allahu aching back recording?

[QBFimi]

Almost a year of his life airborne? Flight instructor? And this happens? Yeah, OK...

[lee martell]

Is “Merry Widow” Vanessa still looking for more $ payouts?
Sometimes planes do crash, especially under those weather conditions.

[StAnDeliver]

"I guess the pilot really screwed up... "

Because Kobe was halfway up his VFR-only pipe and Zobayan refused to let the autopilot handle the climb.

[1Old Pro]

There were opportunities along the way to have reversed the course and prevented this crash by simply landing

Yep, pushed it too far into fog and clouds an made a boneheaded rookie mistake.

[Magnum44]

What are you suggesting? Spatial disorientation is very real when flying IFR. It tricks your brain and you must trust instruments even when you feel like they are all wrong. At night its even worse. The problem is letting your ego or some paying passenger lead you to flying into zero vis near terrain just because ‘gotta get there’.

[rellic]

I was an Avionics Technician in the USAF.
They have these cute little things in your instrument panel.
The guy had to be looking at them. When they are working they do NOT lie. Altitude, attitude, direction, engine info, and other things you need to operate when you can’t see or know if you are upside down or not, or in a slow turn.
Hard to believe a guy with lots of stick time didn’t look at his instruments when he was flying blind.

[TalBlack]

Spatial disorientation, I know the feeling flying IFR. Without instruments flying is impossible. I figured that hillside came out of nowhere for that pilot.

[proust]

All to get there 10 minutes faster.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

"There were opportunities along the way to have reversed the course and prevented this crash by simply landing," NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said.

But the client was a multi-millionaire who had hired the pilot for countless flights. The pilot probably hated the thought of disappointing Bryant, his young daughter and several of her young friends, all of whom he was ferrying to a girl's basketball game which Bryant was coaching and the girls were playing in.

A real shame - it was pretty shocking to me, since I'd been watching an in-depth Kobe interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson the night before.

[Bonemaker]

He didn’t believe his lying instruments.

[Red Badger]

He flew into a hillside in the fog. Why can’t they just say that?.................

[freeandfreezing]

What is surprising to me is that a helicopter pilot with over 8000 hours did not have even minimal IFR skills. I would think someone with that much interest in flying would have at least learned the minimum steps to get out of an unexpected IFR situation alive.

Particularly when that is a lot easier in a helicopter than an airplane. The helicopter he was flying seems like it would have been equipped with a full set of instruments suitable for IFR flight.

In my opinion every VFR pilot should have at least some training in how to survive an unexpected encounter with IFR conditions.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Trust the plan!

Kobe's last words: “WWG1WGA!”

[GreenLanternCorps]

The question is not that he flew into the hillside in the fog, the question is why?

[Gil4]

He flew into a hillside in the fog. Why can’t they just say that?

They said that the day it happened. Now they are reporting why he did that.

[StAnDeliver]

"In my opinion every VFR pilot should have at least some training in how to survive an unexpected encounter with IFR conditions."

And yet he had just had IIMC training that was mostly 'use the damn autopilot and climb out' but apparently didn't learn a damn thing.

I still don't understand not punching out top at the very beginning, fly off the coast above the entire lid, and then come in through Oxnard. It's a freaking Sikorsky!

[Red Badger]

The question is not that he flew into the hillside in the fog, the question is why?

Because he couldn't see it!...............