The Helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant and other passengers was likely caused by a disoriented pilot, investigators believe.

The National Transportation Safety Board said that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was suffering from “spatial disorientation”. Another speculated reason for the crash is “self-induced pressure” by the pilot which might have been caused due to the presence of Bryant on the aircraft.  

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As there was a lack of substantial evidence about technical failures in the aircraft, the board cited “inadequate review and oversight” by the managing company. 

The legendary NBA player along with his 13-year-old daughter and six other passengers boarded the helicopter, which later slammed into a hillside in Los Angeles. 

The NTSB said weather conditions were marginal on the morning of the flight but acceptable for flying under visual flight rules, where a pilot stays out of the clouds and maintains eye contact with the ground.

The investigators at NTSB said that before the crash, the helicopter’s pilot reported that they were approaching 4,000 feet before going down. 

Robert Sumwalt, the Chairman of NTSB said, “This maneuver is consistent with the pilot experiencing spatial disorientation in limited visibility conditions,” said NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt. “He would incorrectly perceive that the helicopter was climbing when it was descending.”

“We are talking about spatial disorientation where literally the pilot may not know which way is up or down, whether he or she is leaning left or right,” Sumwalt said.

In its official finding, the NTSB said “the probable cause of this accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control.”

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“Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s likely self-induced pressure,” the NTSB, and “Island Express helicopter’s Inc. inadequate review and oversight of its safety management processes.”

Bryant has been a highly celebrated basketball player around the world while securing the NBA’s champion title five times in his sporting career which took off in 1996. 

The Lakers player has also won a gold medal in Olympics in 2008 and 2012 for the US.