FILE - In this July 26, 2018, file photo, former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, file)
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Federal safety officials on Tuesday blamed the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others on board last year on the pilot's poor decision to fly into clouds where he became disoriented and plunged into a Southern California hillside.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the crash happened amid thick fog in the hills of the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. The poor visibility probably led pilot Ara Zobayan to become disoriented and misperceive the angles at which he was descending and banking, the agency said.
Investigators said they believed Zobayan experienced a spatial disorientation known as 'œthe leans,'ť which occurs in the inner ear and causes pilots to believe they are flying aircraft straight and level when they are in fact banking.
The NTSB's long-awaited findings come after the Jan. 26, 2020 crash unleashed worldwide grief for the retired basketball star, launched several lawsuits and prompted state and federal legislation about crash site photos and safety devices.
The board members also criticized Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, for inadequate review and oversight of safety issues.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six other passengers were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County.
The others killed were: Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter's basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna's teammates.
Zobayan, an experienced pilot who often flew Bryant, had climbed sharply and nearly succeeded breaking through the fog and clouds when the helicopter made an abrupt left turn and plunged into grassy, oak studded hills in the city of Calabasas.
When it hit the ground, the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was flying at about 184 mph (296 kph) and descending at a rate of more than 4000 feet (1,219 meters) per minute.
Investigators believe Zobayan experienced a spatial disorientation known as 'œthe leans,'ť which occurs in the inner ear and causes pilots to believe they are flying the aircraft straight and level but are in fact banking.
The impact caused a crater and scattered debris over an area the size of a football field. The victims died immediately, according to autopsy reports.
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Koenig reported from Dallas. Associated Press writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed.
FILE - In this June 7, 2009, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) points to a player behind him after making a basket in the closing seconds against the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the NBA basketball finals in Los Angeles. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2020, file photo, firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB investigators Adam Huray, right, and Carol Hogan examine wreckage as part of the NTSB's investigation of a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (James Anderson/National Transportation Safety Board via AP, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Anthony Calderon wears a Kobe Bryant jersey in Calabasas, Calif., at the site of a helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others one year ago. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Adam Dergazarian, bottom center, pays his respects for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, in front of a mural painted by artist Louie Sloe Palsino in Los Angeles. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2018, file photo shows a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter (N72EX) at Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, Calif. NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and several others were riding in the helicopter when it crashed Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, Calif. Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman, File)
The Associated Press