California Congressman Brad Sherman proposed the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act this past week
Sherman wrote the bill in response to the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of nine people on January 26
Among those who died from the crash were legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna
The bill asks that the Federal Aviation Administration force all US helicopters to adhere to further safety precautions
These precautions include a terrain awareness and warning system
The system, which costs around $25,000-40,000 each, can give pilots various warnings related to a craft’s sink rate
Bryant’s helicopter was not equipped with this system
The bill, once passed, will also give rise to a commission on helicopter safety
The commission would then be expected to provide Congress with a report on helicopter safety in low visibility
Bryant and his daughter were on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy when they died
Bryant founded the Mamba Sports Academy as a youth sports center in California
Gianna was set to play a basketball game with her team on January 26
They were joined by seven other people
Gianna’s teammate Alyssa Altobelli and her parents, John and Keri, were in the helicopter
John Altobelli was the head baseball coach of Orange Coast College
Another teammate, Payton Chester, and her mother, Sarah, were aboard as well
The team’s coach, Christina Mauser, perished in the crash with them
The ninth victim of the crash was the pilot, Ara Zobayan
The helicopter crashed into the hills in Calabasas, California
Zobayan had reportedly been given special clearance to fly despite the weather
Just last Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced partial results of their investigation
They found that engine failure was not likely to blame for the accident
The aircraft Zobayan flew was a Sikorsky S-76B; Bryant used this regularly to avoid traffic
The recovered debris was consistent with a functional rotor when the helicopter crashed
They believe the entire aircraft burst into flames as soon as it hit the ground
The helicopter was operated by Island Express Helicopters, who employed Zobayan as chief pilot
Zobayan had over 8,000 hours of experience in the sky and was also a well-known flight instructor
The Sikorsky lacked a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder because these devices weren’t required
The NTSB said that they have been pushing to make them mandatory for the past 20 years
However, the Federal Aviation Administration has not been heeding their advice
Bryant’s official memorial will be held on February 24 at the Los Angeles’ Staples Center
The Staples Center was his home court for the Lakers
The date, 02/24/20, holds special meaning for Vanessa, Bryant’s wife
Gianna wore the number 2 jersey for the Mamba Academy, while 24 was Bryant’s jersey number
20 was the number of years Bryant was with the Lakers
It was also the number of years he and his wife had been together