Kobe Bryant pilot's pre-flight messages warned him about the bad weather before tragedy

Text messages between late NBA legend Kobe Bryant's pilot Ara Zobayan and the flight coordinator a day before the flight show that Zobayan was aware of the adverse weather conditions. As per reports, Zobayan appeared to be disoriented due to the fog. Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven others including Zobayan were killed in a tragic helicopter on January 26. As per various reports from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), bad weather conditions were the main cause of the crash. However, a final report on the case will be released only after the investigation is over. 

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Kobe Bryant pilot messages show pilot was aware of adverse weather conditions 

As per reports, a group chat was created before every flight with Bryant, which kept everyone in communication about the approaching flight. The text messages shared show Zobayan and the flight coordinator discussing the weather, but the concerns were dismissed by them at the end.

As per CNN, Zobayan stated that it would not be the 'best day' to fly, but it was not as bad as the day before the crash. He also texted on the day of the flight, stating that the morning weather looked okay. An hour before the flight, the coordinator asked Zobayan about the weather, who replied saying that it should be 'OK', to which the coordinator agreed. 

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Ara Zobayan was reportedly 'disoriented' due to the weather before the crash

As per recent reports, Zobayan reportedly grew 'disoriented' before the crash. Before the helicopter crashed, Zobayan notified radar controllers that they were going to start climbing to above the cloud layers. The helicopter was actually descending 17 seconds before the data ended, as per reports. When asked for an update, Zobayan did not respond. As per the documents, the 'calculated apparent angles' at the time of the crash indicate that the pilot could have 'misperceived both pitch and roll angles' before the crash due to the heavy fog. 

Also read | Kobe Bryant pilot Ara Zobayan disoriented in fog before crash: Kobe Bryant pilot messages, Kobe Bryant crash report

Vanessa Bryant urges US Congress to helicopter safety bill

According to recent reports, Vanessa Bryant is requesting the US Congress to pass the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act. The bill was originally introduced earlier this year, but Vanessa issued a statement urging them to name it to honour Bryant and Gianna. The bill would ensure that all helicopters supposed to carry six or more passengers will be forced to have all safety equipment like the Terrain Awareness and Warning System, a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder. In her statement, Vanessa said that the bill would be a fitting tribute to Bryant and Gianna's memory. 

Also read | Kobe Bryant pilot Ara Zobayan 'misperceived' flight trajectory, thought he was climbing before clash: Kobe Bryant pilot messages, Kobe Bryant crash report

(Image source: AP)