Kobe Bryant: Feds Expected To Announce Cause Of Crash Tuesday

Calabasas CA

08 February, 2021

9:36 PM

Description

CALABASAS, CA — The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to announce Tuesday the probable cause of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others over a year ago. The NTSB has previously stated that there was no sign of mechanical failure, and the tragedy was an accident. In June, the board released 1700 pages of documents that suggesting that the crash occurred because pilot Ara Zobayan got disoriented in the fog over the mountains in Calabasas on the way to a youth basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks. Zobayan told air traffic control that he was climbing to 4,000 feet to get above the clouds, but he was actually descending into the mountains, with no warning of the terrain ahead. The board is also expected to make recommendations to avoid similar crashes, like equipping helicopters with a warning system to alert the pilot if the aircraft is in danger of crashing. On the year-anniversary of Bryant's death, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) put forward the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act, a bill that would require Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers. Currently, such systems are only required on helicopter ambulances. Right after the Bryant crash, the FAA said in a statement that it is only extends the TAWS requirement to helicopter air ambulances because they fly at night in unfamiliar landing areas, a different scenario than the helicopters that fly through populated areas. "Mandatory terrain awareness equipment on all helicopters has been recommended by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) for 15 years," said Feinstein. "It's clear the simple addition of this equipment will help keep passengers safe and prevent crashes due to poor visibility." Related coverage: Calabasas Marks Year Anniversary Of Kobe Bryant Crash | Calabasas, CA Patch Kobe Bryant Probe: 1,700 Pages Of Documents Released | Calabasas, CA Patch Kobe Bryant Crash: Pilot's Family Want Trial Outside LA | Calabasas, CA Patch Kobe Bryant Probe: Probable Cause Hearing Scheduled For February | Calabasas, CA Patch