DOOMED CHOPPER MINUTES BEFORE ITS FATAL IMPACT ON SUNDAY.
TOM COSTELLO IS THERE
WITH LATE DETAILS.
>> Reporter: IN
CALABASAS TODAY, A
HELICOPTER BEGAN
LIFTING THE HEAVY
WRECKAGE OF THE DOWN
CHOPPER OFF A RUGGED
HILLSIDE AS NTSB TEAMS
USE A DRONE TO EXAMINE
THE CHAR AND TWISTED
REMAINS.
THE PILOT, 49-YEAR-OLD
ARA ZOBAYAN, KOBE
BRYANT’S FAVORITE
PILOT WAS CERTIFIED
FOR VISUAL AND
INSTRUMENT FLIGHT
RULES.
ARA HAS BEEN WITH THE
COMPANY FOR OVER TEN
YEARS AND HAS OVER
8,000 FLIGHT HOURS.
>> HE WAS PRETTY
EXPERIENCED AND HAD
FLOWN THESE FLIEGS
BEFORE UNDER VFR.
BUT WE ARE COLLECTING
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ABOUT THE PILOT TO SEE
HOW THE PILOT WAS
TRAINED.
>> Reporter: THIS
VIDEO APPEARS TO SHOW
THE CHOPPER MINUTES
BEFORE THE CRASH AS IT
CIRCLED, AWAITING AIR
TRAFFIC CLEARANCE TO
FLY NORTH TOWARD KOBE
BRYANT’S TRAINING
ACADEMY.
AS THICK CLOUDS AND
FOG MOVED IN SUNDAY
MORNING, TROUBLE CAME
FAST.
FLIGHT DATA INDICATES
THE CHOPPER DROPPED
350 FEET IN SIX
SECONDS, BANKING A
HARD LEFT TURN AND
ACCELERATING, SLAMMING
INTO THE HILLSIDE AT
176 MILES PER HOUR.
THE QUESTION FOR
INVESTIGATORS, DID
ZOBAYAN BECOME
DISORIENTED IN THE
CLOUDS.
A FORMER MARINE
INSTRUCTOR PILOT SAYS
IT CAN HAPPEN IF
PILOTS TAKE THEIR EYES
OFF THEIR INSTRUMENTS.
>> IF YOU ARE FLYING
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND
YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY
TURNS, THEN KIT BE A
VERY, VERY GRADUAL
THING.
IF YOU ARE MANEUVERING
WHEN YOU LOSE CONTACT
WITH THE GROUND, THEN
IT CAN BE MUCH MORE
RAPID.
>> Reporter: A FORMER
ISLAND EXPRESS PILOT
SAYS THE CHOPPER WAS
EQUIPPED WITH TERRAIN
AVOIDANCE WARNING
SYSTEMS.
>> TERRAIN, TERRAIN,
PULL UP, PULL UP.
>> Reporter: BUT WAS
THAT ALERTING SYSTEM
WORKING?
THE NTSB CAN’T CONFIRM
THE CHOPPER WAS EVEN
EQUIPPED.
>> A CENTRAL QUESTION
IN THIS INVESTIGATION
IS WHY THEY DECIDED TO
FLY IN THIS KIND OF
MARGINAL VISUAL