The pilot of the helicopter that crashed in thick fog, killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers, reported the aircraft was ascending when it actually was heading for the ground, federal investigators said in documents released Wednesday.

Ara Zobayan radioed to air traffic controllers that he was climbing to 4,000ft (1,220m) to get above clouds on January 26 when, in fact, the helicopter was plunging toward a hillside where it crashed northwest of Los Angeles, killing all nine people aboard.

The report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Zobayan may have "misperceived" the angles at which he was descending and banking, which can happen when a pilot becomes disoriented in low visibility.

Aviation experts said shortly after the crash that the path of the flight indicated Zobayan had lost his bearing.

"Calculated apparent angles at this time show that the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles," one report stated. "During the final descent the pilot, responding to (air traffic control), stated that they were 'climbing to four thousand.'

The 1,700 pages of reports do not offer a conclusion of what caused the crash but compile factual reports. A final report on the cause is due later.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six of their friends were killed, along with Zobayan.

About 45 minutes before takeoff, Zobayan had texted a group of people overseeing the flight that the weather was looking "OK."

He took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. with the eight passengers he had flown the day before to the same destination: a girls basketball tournament at the retired Lakers star's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, a city approximately 40 miles north of Los Angeles.

When the helicopter hadn't landed within an hour, an executive of the company that operated the aircraft began a frantic search for it on tracking software and had another company helicopter dispatched to look for it.

"The weird thing, though, is that the tracker had stopped at 9:45am which is not normal and we were trying to reach Ara over the radio," noted Whitney Bagge, vice president of Island Express Helicopters. "I kept refreshing the tracker praying that it was just broken."

Brady said the original flight time for Sunday was 9:45 am, but Bryant had it rescheduled to 9 am because he wanted to see another team play before his daughter's game.

Source: https://www.skysports.com/nba/news/36244/12009338/pilot-in-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash-thought-he-was-climbing-rather-than-descending-say-federal-investigators

Sad. And just for that 8 lives gone. It's well

hmm

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright
May their soul continue to rest in peace
For every day we wake we are faced with more than a hundred ways to die. We will always return to that dust

The only prayer we should be praying as real niggarrrz is for us to smoke enough weed, drink enough bottles, bang enough Pussy, make some dope money and buy a ride and seek for little knowledge before we die

report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Zobayan may have "misperceived" the angles at which he was descending and banking, which can happen when a pilot becomes disoriented in low visibility.

Abeg tell me something else, even in low visibility the pilot ought to have known when the plane is descending or ascending. How can you tell me my blind uncle won't know when he's falling from the sky?? Motion necessarily don't need sight to affirm.

Many years back.... i felt the same too.



I was part of an audacious plot to steal a stealth plane from the Russian Airforce.













I could tell a story, but Kobe's end was tragic.....

By the way, my story would have been a rip-off of FIREFOX, a book by Craig Thomas - I recommend!

Spatial disorientation. Was the pilot not instrument-rated?

How is that possible or was the pilot high

hmmmn

What kind of "thought" is that? It was after this guy's death alot of other deaths followed suit.

Chai
Sometimes I think carrying investigations on the death of someone will bring the person back to life, but that has never been the case.
Well, the pilot shouldn't be blamed, let's blame that spirit of alcohol that lured him to the toilet before takeoff, just to have a pint of the alcohol.
Meanwhile, R.I.P. Kobe Bryant.

Wow that was a costly mistake ........ Anyways may their souls Continue to rest in peace

So sad, rest on Kobe, it was your time. He even the changed the flight time to 9am instead of 9:45am. Let's make our ways right with God, nobody can determine when the watch on earth would end.

Oga oo, dem still dy on top this matter sha

Life na pot of beans





I forget hot pot of beans....

Is he a baby pilot? Suicide mission on point.

Shsh

People should learn to be professional, do the right thing even in the face of danger.

to be honest...
i feel machines are more credible than most human services
i know humans make the machines
but i believe the humans filters of most of the flaws and potential errors
compared to the vigorous months and years of pilot training
an auto-pilot engine would have done a much better job in this particular situation








quote me only if you read and have comprehended my comment

Na dark shield dey the glass wey make am think instead of to look??

rip to them

How? Was he upside down or what??