Getty Investigators work at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former NBA star Kobe Bryant on January 26, 2020 in Calabasas, California.
Kobe Bryant’s helicopter pilot was not warned by air traffic controllers that he was flying too low before the crash that killed Bryant and eight others on Sunday, January 26, 2020, despite some reports. Multiple media outlets have reported that pilot Ara Zobayan was told he was flying too low before the crash. But that is a misunderstanding of ATC audio recordings of the conversation between Zobayan and the Burbank and Van Nuys towers, aviation experts say.
Zobayan died in the fiery crash along with eight other people: Bryant, Bryant’s daughter Gianna, two of Gianna’s teammates, three members of her teammates’ families and one of Gianna’s coaches. The group was flying from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park for a basketball game. The helicopter took off about 9:15 a.m. and crashed about 9:45 a.m. near Calabasas, California. There was fog in the area where the helicopter crashed.
According to the ATC recordings, Zobayan was told he was unable to receive “flight following, which is an optional service that provides assistance to helicopter pilots. The air traffic controller told Zobayan he was flying too low for flight following. This meant that the helicopter was not being picked up by the tower’s radar, so the air traffic controller could not assist Zobayan. That did not mean that Zobayan was flying too low or too close to the ground and putting the helicopter in danger, as some news outlets have implied. It is not clear if Zobayan requested flight following from the tower or if he was communicating with them before the crash. Not all of the audio is saved in the recordings.
Maxime Prades, a private pilot, said on Twitter in response to an article from The Daily Mirror saying the pilot was warned he was too low, “NO! that is NOT what this means. ‘too low for flight following’ is different than “you are too low.'” Prades added, “flight following is an optional service you can request when you fly using visual flight rules (VFR) it gives “improved situational awareness and assists pilots in avoiding collisions with other aircraft” from ATC. You have to request it and you have to show up on their radar, which he didn’t because he was too low for radar coverage. But that doesn’t mean he was out of the legal altitude ranges for his class and aircraft type. It’s something completely up to the pilot and safe to do.”
Zobayan was given special visual flight rules clearance by the Burbank Tower, meaning he was given permission to fly through the foggy conditions. The investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Bureau is likely to focus on the conditions at the time of the crash and whether that played a role in the tragedy, or if there were mechanical or other issues. The cause of the crash is not likely to be determined for months.
Another pilot, Josh Lesko, tweeted, “Misleading headline. ATC stated to the pilot that they would be too low to receive flight following, which is a standard service provided to VFR pilots. … ATC advised the pilot that they were too low to receive flight following. Not unusual. The special clearance … is call Special VFR, which is a very common procedure.”
You can listen to the ATC recordings and learn more below:
The ATC Recordings Capture Nearly 5 Minutes of Audio Between the Pilot & Towers in Burbank & Van Nuys
Ara Zobayan was piloting a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter made in 1991 and owned by Island Express Holding Corp., a California-based helicopter charter company that Kobe Bryant often flew with. The helicopter had tail number N72EX. In the ATC audio, obtained from LiveATC, a site that collects audio recordings of air traffic control communications from amateur contributors using scanners, the helicopter is referred to as 2Echo X-ray.
The audio recording begins with Zobayan talking to the Burbank Tower. He is told to be in a holding pattern because he could not enter Burbank Airport airspace.
The Burbank Tower told Zobayan, “Northwest, follow the 5 Freeway. Maintain special VFR, special VFR conditions at or below 2,500.” Zobayan repeated that message. He later told the Burbank Tower, he would follow the “118, and then we’ll loop around Van Nuys to catch the 101.”
After leaving the Burbank airspace, Zobayan switched over to talk to the Van Nuys Tower. “Helicopter 2EchoX, we are currently with you for the special VFR transition. We are currently at 1,400.” The tower replied, “Helicopter 2EchoX, Van Nuys tower. Wind calm, visibility 2½. Ceiling 1,100 overcast. Van Nuys altimeter’s 30.16. Cleared into Van Nuys Class Delta, northeast of Van Nuys along the 118 Freeway westbound. Advise when you’re in VFR conditions or when you’re clear of the Van Nuys Class Delta. Transition when you’re at or below 2,500.”
He then transitioned to the SoCal airport tower. Only the recordings of the tower are on the audio posted by LiveATC, but that does not necessarily mean Zobayan was not communicating with the air traffic controllers there. It is possible that the scanner that was being used to record the ATC audio did not pick up Zobayan’s side of the conversation.
The SoCal Tower said, “EchoX-ray, yeah, you’re following the 1200 code. So you’re requesting flight following?” After five seconds, the tower said, “2EchoX-ray, where, say intentions.” The tower then said, “2EchoX-ray, you’re still too low-level for a flight following at this time.” After five seconds, the final audio on the recording is the tower saying, “2Echo X-ray, SoCal.”
The Pilot Was an Instructor & Well Respected in the Aviation Community & Had Worked With Kobe Bryant & His Family in the Past
Facebook/Group 3 Aviation Van NuysAra Zobayan.
Ara Zobayan, 50, was an experienced pilot that had flown for Kobe Bryant in the past, according to his friends. In addition to being a private pilot, he was also an instructor. A friend wrote on Twitter, “Working for the aviation business has allowed me to meet some pretty amazing people and pilots. Ara was definitely one of them. Always so nice, talkative and especially attentive when it came to Kobe and his family. I’m heart broken.”
Another pilot, Jared Yochim, said on Facebook, “Ara was an incredible pilot, instructor pilot, charter pilot and truly a great man. He was not your typical egotistical helicopter pilot like most of us honestly are. Ara was a man that always remained cool, calm and collected. As more people that knew Ara open up about him, you’ll only hear words like professional, calculated and loving. He was always good for a laugh. The loss is not mine, but a community really. Ara impacted so many people and only in a positive way.”
