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Kobe Bryant’s Widow Sues Helicopter Operator for Wrongful Death

On January 26, what was supposed to be a regular, short flight by helicopter from Newport Beach, California, into downtown Los Angeles, ended in a fiery crash supposedly caused by failure to operate in heavy fog.
Vanessa Bryan sues helicopter operator and pilot estate for wrongful death in Kobe and GiGi's deaths 8 photos
Photo: Instagram / Vanessa Bryant
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Nine people died, including the pilot Ara Zobayan, NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter GiGi. The official investigation is still underway, but it is believed Zobayan, who had flown Kobe for years on the exact route, got lost in the fog and flew below the levels needed for radar tracking, in the hope of finding a way out. He crashed into a hillside because he was operating on visual reference alone.

On Monday, as Bryant’s widow Vanessa joined stars and fans in a celebration of the life of Kobe and GiGi at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, her attorneys filed a lawsuit against Island Express, which boasted pre-crash of being “the West Coast’s largest fleet of Sikorsky S-76 passenger aircraft, the most-trusted name in helicopters,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Island Express suspended operations indefinitely on January 26.

The lawsuit names the company and the pilot as defendants, arguing that both are guilty of gross negligence for the way the Sikorsky S-76 aircraft was operated on that day, in those particular weather conditions, which left the pilot flying it in blinding conditions. It further alleges that Zobayan had been cited by the FAA in 2015 for a similar violation, but his employer did not follow up the citation in any way, thus normalizing this type of behavior.

“Defendant Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted a flight with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions,” the lawsuit states. It also says the crash could have been avoided had the aircraft had a terrain alarm system installed, which would have warned Zobayan that he was nearing a hillside. Federal regulations do not mandate this safety feature, but do recommend it.

Zobayan is also accused of “failing to abort the flight, failing to monitor and assess the weather, and failure to keep a safe distance between natural obstacles and the helicopter,” the LA Times notes.

The lawsuit asks for unspecified punitive damages and damages for “pre-impact” terror, meaning damages for the emotional trauma suffered by Kobe and GiGi in the moments before the deadly crash. It also seeks “damages for loss of love, affection, care, society, service, comfort, support, right to support, companionship, solace or moral support and expectations of future support and counseling,” TMZ reports, financial support and funeral costs.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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