Los Angeles, CA – Investigators are now concluding that the pilot of the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 7 others was likely disoriented due to the dense fog the group encountered. Newly released details of the final moments of the January 26th flight say the pilot,
Ara Zobya, radioed air traffic control to report that he was climbing to 4000 feet in order to get above the fog and clouds. However, his helicopter was actually on the descent and ended up crashing into a hillside northwest of Los Angeles.
National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) officials released a 1700 page report in which they theorize that Zobya misinterpreted data about the pitch of his aircraft. The NTSB officials stated that this can occur when a pilot become disoriented during low visibility situations, such as fog or severe weather. They also noted that the flight path of the helicopter corroborates the theory that Zobya was disoriented.
While the report did not indicate an official cause of the crash, a final report detailing the cause will be released at a later date.
