DYING TO PLEASE MY 2 CENTS
By Randy Mains
As professional pilots, we naturally want to please our passengers, get them to their destination on time, give them a memorable flight, and of course do it safely. But if we are not careful, an overwhelming urge to please our passengers can overpower our good judgment, creating a mental blind spot to a link or links in an error chain that is forming, which can lead us into a deadly trap.
That is what happened to Ara Zobayan, the pilot tasked to fly Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna with six others to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy near Thousand Oaks, California, where Bryant was scheduled to coach a game. Sadly, and to the shock of the sports world, none of them made it to their destination.
Bryant’s wife Vanessa was not in the helicopter on that fateful day. However, during the accident investigation it was reported that she had trusted Zobayan’s ability for years. He worked for Island Express Helicopters and company Vice President Whitney Bagge told crash investigators, “I loved Ara and would often fly in the helicopter with him,” adding, “...and I was notoriously picky, churning through limo drivers, sometimes just because I just didn’t like them.”
Kobe Bryant had faith in the pilot’s abilities as well, often happy to let Zobayan fly his girls by themselves to their basketball games. Bryant’s travel broker Patti Taylor said, “Kobe trusted Ara with his girls and family, which was paramount to him.” Bryant even gave Zobayan a nickname, affectionately calling him “Mr. Pilot Man.” The Bryant household obviously held their pilot in high regard; it was a sentiment that would change dramatically.
Vanessa Bryant filed a lawsuit against Ara Zobayan (posthumously) that blames him for Kobe’s death. The complaint alleges Zobayan was negligent and failed to “use ordinary care in piloting,” and that Island Express Helicopters is liable for the resulting crash. The lawsuit covers more than 90 pages and alleges in part, “Kobe Bryant was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan.” The pilot’s actions, it states, “were wanton, willful, callous, reckless, and depraved.”
This turn of events should serve as a cautionary tale for all of us. Admittedly, this is an extremely high-profile case, but it could happen to any of us if we are found culpable in the death or injury of any of the passengers we carry.
We in the industry should take away a huge lesson from this accident: we can be on best of terms, even good friends, buddy- buddy, with those we carry, but if they get hurt and it’s proven to be our fault, our reputation and our estate can come under vicious attack, possibly resulting in bankruptcy or worse for our loved ones left behind.
Ara Zobayan had been Bryant’s pilot for several years. The lawsuit claims that he should have more accurately monitored weather and conditions on that foggy day and aborted the flight when it appeared too dangerous to fly. The lawsuit also notes that the FAA cited Zobayan personally (not great for a pilot’s defense) because in 2015 it had issued Island Express a limited certificate that allowed its pilots to operate only in visual metrological conditions (VMC) and they were not certified to fly in instrument conditions.
It’s not like Zobayan was an inexperienced pilot; quite the contrary. According to NTSB accident investigator Fabian Salazar, Zobayan had logged 8,577 flight hours and 1,250 hours in the S-76. He held an instrument instructor’s certificate, CFII, had logged 75 hours instrument time, and had flown in the area for 10 years. His indoctrination through Sikorsky S-76 training included aeronautical decision-making and judgment, instrument, procedures, unusual attitude recovery, inadvertent entry into IMC procedures, and spatial orientation training. As chief pilot, Zobayan supervised and trained other Island Express pilots. As check airman, he evaluated other Sikorsky S-76 pilots during their annual proficiency and line checks.
Thirteen days after the accident, Zobayan’s friends and family gathered in secret at an airport hangar in Fullerton, California, to celebrate Zobayan’s life. Tess Davidson, Zobayan’s longtime girlfriend, opened the service. Other speakers followed. They told of a teenage immigrant who embodied the American dream of aspiring to become a pilot while working multiple jobs to pay for his flight training.
Three decades after arriving in Southern California, Zobayan was flying Kobe Bryant and a variety of other VIPs – while also continuing to wash aircraft, vacuum offices, and even bring lunches to coworkers on his days off. Friends said Zobayan was “cheerful and humble.” Colleagues described him as “exceptional,” “personable,” and “genuine.”
The lawsuit argues Zobayan “failed to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff and failed to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy conditions, failing to properly and safely operate the helicopter resulting in a crash.”
The NTSB’s findings seem to support many of those accusations, with the report homing in on weather and how Zobayan navigated it. On the morning of the crash, it was reported he texted a group of Bryant’s travel coordinators to say, “Weather looking OK.” But footage from cameras near the crash site showed low clouds and valleys cloaked in fog. Some experts who were interviewed say Zobayan never should have taken off. Others dub his decision a “judgment call.” But all agree that when treacherous conditions arose, Zobayan should have landed mid-flight. The NTSB said in its final findings that
10 May/June 2021
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