Kobe Bryant's helicopter did not have terrain warning system that could have warned pilot he was flying too low
Late basketball legend Kobe Bryant's helicopter lacked a terrain warning system that could have alerted the pilot that he was plummeting towards the hillside, a National Transportation Safety Board Official shared.
The official, Jennifer Homendy, confirmed that the helicopter had not been equipped with the safety feature. She shared that the NTSB had recommended that all choppers that are carrying six or more have the system. However, the Federal Aviation Administration had 'failed to act' and hence the device was not made a legal requirement.
As reported by the LA Times, the FAA had noted the terrain alarm system is compulsory on helicopter air ambulance operations. It had also not been equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder. There was dense fog reported around the S-76B helicopter and it is likely that the pilot may have lost control as the aircraft plunged into a fog-shrouded mountain.
According to investigators trying to determine the cause of the crash, the helicopter's lack of 'black box' recorders could hinder the investigation process. Homendy added that had the chopper been equipped with voice and data recorders, "that would have helped significantly in this investigation."
Homendy also shared that the pilot was using an iPad for his flight plan. "We'll be looking at other avionics on the aircraft to see what other information we can gather and then we're going to be looking for other electronics," Homendy shared, as per NBC. Just forty minutes after the chopper had taken off, a 911 call reported that the chopper had crashed into flames on a hillside.
Investigators may recommend again that helicopters carrying six or more passengers have a Terrain Awareness and Warning System that would have sounded off an alarm if the helicopter was in danger of crashing.
The pilot of the helicopter, Ara Zobayan, had been given special clearance by air traffic control in order to fly in the bad and foggy weather. Zobayan was well versed with the skies over LA and frequently flew Bryant and several other celebrities. Nine people including Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others lost their lives in the tragedy.