Vanessa Bryant sues helicopter firm over death of Kobe, daughter
Vanessa Bryant sues helicopter firm over death of Kobe, daughter
by City News Service
On the day her husband and 13-year-old daughter are being memorialized at Staples Center, Kobe Bryant’s widow filed a lawsuit against the operators of the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, killing the Laker legend, his daughter and seven others.
Vanessa Bryant’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit names Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp. and the estate of the helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, who also died in the Jan. 26 crash.
Island Express officials could not be reached for immediate comment. In the days after the crash, the company issued a statement expressing sorrow and noting that Zobayan was the company’s chief pilot.
The suit faults the company for allowing the helicopter to fly in “heavy fog and low clouds” that prompted “law enforcement agencies and tour companies” to ground their helicopters.
“On information and belief, Island Express Helicopters Federal Aviation Administration operating certificate limited its pilots to flying only under visual flight rules,” according to the lawsuit. “The subject helicopter was not licensed or certified to be flown into instrument conditions. On information and belief, the pilot-in-command, Ara George Zobayan, was required to fly only in conditions that he could navigate visually.
“Ara George Zobayan attempted to maneuver the helicopter up and forward to clear the clouds, then entered a turn sending the helicopter into steep terrain at approximately 180 mph,” according to the suit. “Witnesses on the ground reported seeing the helicopter flying through a layer of clouds and fog before the helicopter crashed.”
The suit notes that in 2015 Zobayan was cited by the FAA for violating the visual flight rules minimums by “flying into an airspace of reduced visibility from weather conditions.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
All credit goes to City News Service
Originally published on https://www.dailynews.com
