Pilot In Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Was Previously Reprimanded For Violating FAA Rules During Poor Weather

It’s been nearly a month since Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter accident. Now, new details about the pilot flying the helicopter during the crash have emerged. According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, Ara Zobayan, the man who was flying the helicopter, had previously violated flight rules.

The violation led to a reprimand from the Federal Aviation Administration after Zobayan flew into busy airspace near Los Angeles International Airport. The pilot was ordered not to enter the space by air traffic control. The incident took place in 2015, and Zobayan was reportedly denied clearance because weather conditions had reduced visibility below visual flight rules. There were less than 3 miles of visibility, as well as a cloud ceiling at least 1,000 feet above the ground.

At the time, Zobayan took responsibility for the violation and attended counseling. The FAA faulted the pilot for his lack of preparation.

“Had Mr. Zobayan properly planned and reviewed current weather at LAX, he would have been able to anticipate the required action to transit… resulting in proper coordination,” the report on the incident says.

At this time, it’s unknown where Zobayan was headed or whether he had any passengers onboard. The investigator who counseled Zobayan and went unnamed in the document did not recommend the pilot for remedial training. Instead, he opted to council Zobayan on specific flight areas, including operating in airspace around large airports, proper planning, reviewing weather, and special VFR (visual flight rules) weather minimums. Zobayan was working for Island Express Helicopters at the time of the incident.

“There are no indications that this is a repeated incident and there are no signs that this incident is a trend with Mr. Zobayan or any other [Island Express Helicopter] personnel,” the investigator wrote.

The LA Times suggests that experts are split on how severe the Zobayan’s violation was. Some suggested that every pilot has at least some violations, while others said it’s important to check in on weather conditions regularly.

This new information comes as investigators work to determine the exact cause of the incident that occurred on January 26. According to a report in The New York Times, Zobayan was also dealing with bad weather on the day of the crash. On the day of the crash, he had requested special clearance to fly through low-visibility control zones around Burbank and the Van Nuys airport. Zobayan was reportedly certified to fly with his instruments in the event of low visibility.