What We Know About The Helicopter Crash That Killed Kobe Bryant

Gianna and Kobe Bryant (Photo: MARCA)

JAKARTA - A year has passed since Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna lost their lives, along with seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.

Much remains unknown about the accident, but a final report will be submitted by the National Transportation Safety Agency - NTSB - on February 9.

The helicopter crashes en route to Camarillo, California, for one of Gianna's games. On the trip, there were also two of Gianna's teammates and their respective families.

Everything went smoothly for 15 minutes. Then, they must make room for air traffic before continuing their journey.

According to the authorities, the helicopters have a low altitude of 400-600 feet and are required to remain so until they reach their destination. Pilot Ara Zobayan agreed.

Not long after that, there was a change of operators at the air traffic control office, the pilot continued on to a mountainous area with minimal visibility.

As communication re-established with the new men on duty, the pilot stated he was rising above the clouds up to 4,000 feet due to weather conditions. A few moments later, the helicopter descended at high speed and crashed.

Five years earlier, Zobayan had been warned against not having a permit to fly in poor visibility. He was then asked to comply with these rules.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, has filed a lawsuit claiming that the pilot was most responsible for the accident.

What should also be underlined is that there are no black boxes on both helicopters.