We woke up to dense fog Tuesday morning, which made the <a href="https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/2021/02/09/likely-cause-of-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash-to-be-announced/" target= blank>National Transportation Safety Board hearing</a> concerning the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others even more relevant. The helicopter pilot entered an area of dense clouds and experienced spatial disorientation due to weather, according to investigators.
Chris Carlson/AP
toggle caption Chris Carlson/AP
Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, shown here in 2018, were killed in a helicopter crash last year. Chris Carlson/AP
Updated at 2:06 p.m. ET
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined
that the probable cause of the crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and six other passengers last year was the pilot s decision to continue flight under adverse weather conditions. The result, they said, was the pilot s spatial disorientation and loss of control.
Also contributing to the accident, the board said Tuesday, was the pilot s likely self-induced pressure to please a high-profile client and a bias toward continuing with the established plan. It also cited the helicopter operator s inadequate review of its safety management processes.