1 00:00:04,604 --> 00:00:08,108 Breaking news, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant 2 00:00:08,174 --> 00:00:11,945 died in a helicopter Crash. 3 00:00:12,011 --> 00:00:14,381 NARRATOR: A high-profile aviation accident 4 00:00:14,447 --> 00:00:16,583 devastates Los Angeles. 5 00:00:16,649 --> 00:00:18,852 I'm just at a loss for words right now. 6 00:00:18,918 --> 00:00:22,522 NARRATOR: NTSB investigators quickly inspect the wreckage. 7 00:00:22,589 --> 00:00:25,392 All the mechanical systems and electronic systems 8 00:00:25,458 --> 00:00:27,026 appeared to be working fine. 9 00:00:27,093 --> 00:00:29,229 NARRATOR: The data provides a detailed picture 10 00:00:29,295 --> 00:00:30,530 of the entire flight. 11 00:00:30,597 --> 00:00:32,665 So they get airborne just after 9:00. 12 00:00:32,732 --> 00:00:34,768 And then, they get held up for 12 minutes. 13 00:00:34,834 --> 00:00:37,003 MAN (RADIO): Echo X-ray, 14 00:00:37,070 --> 00:00:38,138 hold outside Burbank airspace. 15 00:00:38,204 --> 00:00:39,205 OK. 16 00:00:39,272 --> 00:00:40,740 We'll hold outside Burbank. 17 00:00:40,807 --> 00:00:43,576 Certainly, this added to the time of the flight. 18 00:00:43,643 --> 00:00:47,247 He's bombing along here at about 140 knots. 19 00:00:47,313 --> 00:00:50,784 NARRATOR: Investigators must consider the unthinkable. 20 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:52,852 Was he trying to make up for the lost time? 21 00:00:52,919 --> 00:00:55,288 A lot of people wondered if Kobe being Kobe 22 00:00:55,355 --> 00:00:57,357 might've put pressure on this pilot. 23 00:00:57,424 --> 00:00:58,558 NARRATOR: But there's no evidence 24 00:00:58,625 --> 00:01:00,527 to support that suspicion. 25 00:01:00,593 --> 00:01:03,129 So what happened to this guy? 26 00:01:04,330 --> 00:01:05,131 Mayday. 27 00:01:05,198 --> 00:01:06,399 Mayday. 28 00:01:30,223 --> 00:01:32,459 Hey, Rick. 29 00:01:32,525 --> 00:01:34,828 So I'm gonna go straight north to Dodger Stadium, 30 00:01:34,894 --> 00:01:38,131 around Burbank, and follow the 118 to get up and around 31 00:01:38,198 --> 00:01:39,632 the weather down here. 32 00:01:39,699 --> 00:01:41,734 What's the visibility of Burbank? 33 00:01:41,801 --> 00:01:43,937 Broken clouds with five-mile visibility. 34 00:01:44,003 --> 00:01:45,972 We're good to go. 35 00:01:46,039 --> 00:01:48,608 NARRATOR: Ara Zobayan is a helicopter pilot with more 36 00:01:48,675 --> 00:01:51,444 than 8,000 flying hours. 37 00:01:51,511 --> 00:01:52,979 They'll be here in about 15 minutes. 38 00:01:53,046 --> 00:01:54,314 I'll meet them here and help get them loaded. 39 00:01:54,380 --> 00:01:55,782 Roger that. 40 00:01:55,849 --> 00:01:57,550 NARRATOR: He's the chief pilot for Island Express, 41 00:01:57,617 --> 00:02:00,553 a helicopter charter company based in California's Los 42 00:02:00,620 --> 00:02:02,489 Angeles County. 43 00:02:02,555 --> 00:02:04,190 BRENT SCHROTENBOER: Island Express 44 00:02:04,257 --> 00:02:06,626 is a family-owned company that's been in Southern California 45 00:02:06,693 --> 00:02:07,994 for a number of decades. 46 00:02:08,061 --> 00:02:10,163 And they're known as a company that can 47 00:02:10,230 --> 00:02:13,833 provide VIP helicopter service. 48 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:16,202 NARRATOR: Among their high-profile regular customers, 49 00:02:16,269 --> 00:02:20,373 media star Kylie Jenner, LA Clippers superstar 50 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,810 Kawhi Leonard, and today's client 51 00:02:23,877 --> 00:02:26,646 LA Lakers great Kobe Bryant. 52 00:02:26,713 --> 00:02:28,748 BRENT SCHROTENBOER: Kobe Bryant was one of the best 53 00:02:28,815 --> 00:02:30,550 basketball players of all time. 54 00:02:30,617 --> 00:02:32,752 He is an iconic Los Angeles Laker. 55 00:02:32,819 --> 00:02:37,023 He was drafted by the team in 1996 when he was 17 years old. 56 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:39,459 He became the heart and soul of the team for 20 years. 57 00:02:39,526 --> 00:02:40,960 He won five world championships. 58 00:02:41,027 --> 00:02:43,730 He went to the all-star game 18 times 59 00:02:43,796 --> 00:02:46,900 and, really, just became a huge star in his own right 60 00:02:46,966 --> 00:02:49,435 apart from the team, in that he was recognized 61 00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:52,705 simply by his first name, Kobe. 62 00:02:52,772 --> 00:02:54,541 How's everyone doing today? 63 00:02:54,607 --> 00:02:56,242 NARRATOR: Ara Zobayan has flown Kobe 64 00:02:56,309 --> 00:02:59,012 and his family dozens of times. 65 00:02:59,078 --> 00:03:01,281 Well, let's get going. 66 00:03:01,347 --> 00:03:03,283 BRENT SCHROTENBOER: Kobe and the pilot of this helicopter 67 00:03:03,349 --> 00:03:06,152 had really become friends, because he had piloted him 68 00:03:06,219 --> 00:03:08,655 so many times around Southern California 69 00:03:08,721 --> 00:03:11,758 that they developed a relationship. 70 00:03:11,824 --> 00:03:16,563 NARRATOR: Kobe Bryant flies in a luxury Sikorsky S-76B. 71 00:03:16,629 --> 00:03:19,065 It's configured to carry eight passengers. 72 00:03:19,132 --> 00:03:22,835 The Sikorsky 76B is sort of like an air 73 00:03:22,902 --> 00:03:26,739 limousine, in that it's quite common for VIP travel. 74 00:03:26,806 --> 00:03:29,542 I think heads of state use it in different countries. 75 00:03:29,609 --> 00:03:31,377 And it's also used as sort of an air 76 00:03:31,444 --> 00:03:34,213 ambulance in some situations. 77 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:35,782 It's spacious and reliable. 78 00:03:35,848 --> 00:03:37,817 It's really considered about as safe as they come. 79 00:03:40,353 --> 00:03:42,922 NARRATOR: Kobe, his daughter Gianna, and six others 80 00:03:42,989 --> 00:03:45,658 are headed to a basketball tournament near Camarillo, 81 00:03:45,725 --> 00:03:47,060 80 miles away. 82 00:03:49,996 --> 00:03:55,568 Kobe is the team's coach, Gianna the star player. 83 00:03:55,635 --> 00:03:57,236 Today's 30-minute flight will take 84 00:03:57,303 --> 00:04:00,173 the helicopter north past Burbank and then west 85 00:04:00,239 --> 00:04:02,809 towards Camarillo. 86 00:04:02,875 --> 00:04:06,179 Zobayan will follow two highways for guidance. 87 00:04:06,245 --> 00:04:12,085 The 5, northwest, and the 101, west to Camarillo. 88 00:04:12,151 --> 00:04:13,286 Hey, everyone. 89 00:04:13,353 --> 00:04:14,253 It's about to get loud back there. 90 00:04:21,260 --> 00:04:25,031 Copter 72 Echo X-ray, Island Express for east one departure. 91 00:04:25,098 --> 00:04:28,434 MAN (RADIO): Helicopter 72 Echo X-ray, cleared for departure 92 00:04:28,501 --> 00:04:29,669 from Island Express. 93 00:04:29,736 --> 00:04:31,304 Have a good flight. 94 00:04:31,371 --> 00:04:33,940 Good flight to Echo X-ray. 95 00:04:34,007 --> 00:04:36,342 NARRATOR: Just after 9:00 AM, the helicopter 96 00:04:36,409 --> 00:04:38,077 lifts off from Santa Ana. 97 00:04:41,414 --> 00:04:46,019 The destination is Kobe Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy. 98 00:04:46,085 --> 00:04:47,987 It's a regular journey for Zobayan. 99 00:04:48,054 --> 00:04:52,825 He flew this same group there and back yesterday. 100 00:04:52,892 --> 00:04:55,061 MALCOLM BRENNER: He was a very experienced pilot. 101 00:04:55,128 --> 00:04:58,798 He was able to fly the helicopter at speed, 102 00:04:58,865 --> 00:05:02,001 at low altitude, in a very dense airspace, 103 00:05:02,068 --> 00:05:03,970 and deal with weather at the same time. 104 00:05:06,272 --> 00:05:08,241 NARRATOR: Since his early days as a player, 105 00:05:08,307 --> 00:05:10,209 Kobe Bryant has preferred helicopter 106 00:05:10,276 --> 00:05:14,380 travel to the crowded freeways of Southern California. 107 00:05:14,447 --> 00:05:17,383 He routinely uses helicopters for his personal 108 00:05:17,450 --> 00:05:19,619 and professional travel. 109 00:05:19,686 --> 00:05:21,387 Kobe loved to fly by helicopter, 110 00:05:21,454 --> 00:05:25,058 just because he loved how much time it saved him. 111 00:05:25,124 --> 00:05:28,761 NARRATOR: Kurt Deetz also flew for Island Express. 112 00:05:28,828 --> 00:05:32,265 Flying in LA is like nowhere else. 113 00:05:32,331 --> 00:05:34,867 There is a large congested-- 114 00:05:34,934 --> 00:05:40,273 congestion of multiple types of airspace in a small area. 115 00:05:40,339 --> 00:05:44,444 So you're always in and out of airspace. 116 00:05:44,510 --> 00:05:46,045 NARRATOR: Today's flight will first 117 00:05:46,112 --> 00:05:48,448 need to pass through the controlled airspace surrounding 118 00:05:48,514 --> 00:05:52,852 Burbank and then Van Nuys. 119 00:05:52,919 --> 00:05:55,054 Burbank helicopter 72 Echo X-rays, 120 00:05:55,121 --> 00:05:56,956 Sikorsky helicopter approaching the zoom 121 00:05:57,023 --> 00:05:59,926 for a 101 westbound transition. 122 00:05:59,992 --> 00:06:02,061 NARRATOR: Zobayan requests permission to pass 123 00:06:02,128 --> 00:06:04,697 through Burbank's airspace. 124 00:06:04,764 --> 00:06:06,199 It's a very busy airport. 125 00:06:06,265 --> 00:06:09,802 And the controllers-- they know what they're doing. 126 00:06:09,869 --> 00:06:12,105 Number 72 Echo X-ray, Burbank Tower. 127 00:06:12,171 --> 00:06:13,840 Burbank Klaus Charlie is IFR. 128 00:06:13,906 --> 00:06:16,042 Say intentions. 129 00:06:16,109 --> 00:06:18,778 NARRATOR: Burbank is only accepting IFR flights 130 00:06:18,845 --> 00:06:20,513 or Instrument Flight Rules, which 131 00:06:20,580 --> 00:06:25,518 requires pilots to navigate solely on instruments. 132 00:06:25,585 --> 00:06:28,488 Zobayan, however, is only authorized to fly using 133 00:06:28,554 --> 00:06:32,492 Visual Flight Reference or VFR. 134 00:06:32,558 --> 00:06:36,062 The threshold for visual flight is normally three miles. 135 00:06:36,129 --> 00:06:40,099 The Burbank Airport was two-and-a-half miles. 136 00:06:40,166 --> 00:06:43,002 NARRATOR: With insufficient visibility for VFR, 137 00:06:43,069 --> 00:06:46,205 the controller denies his request. 138 00:06:46,272 --> 00:06:48,775 But Zobayan's been flying helicopters 139 00:06:48,841 --> 00:06:50,910 in Southern California long enough to know 140 00:06:50,977 --> 00:06:52,945 a way around this restriction. 141 00:06:53,012 --> 00:06:54,814 Asking for special VFR transition 142 00:06:54,881 --> 00:06:58,351 to the 101 westbound. 143 00:06:58,417 --> 00:07:01,320 The special VFR allows him to operate 144 00:07:01,387 --> 00:07:04,090 at lower-than-standard visibilities, 145 00:07:04,157 --> 00:07:08,127 down to 1-mile visibility. 146 00:07:08,194 --> 00:07:10,830 And that's an agreement you have with the tower, 147 00:07:10,897 --> 00:07:12,698 saying, I'm here. 148 00:07:12,765 --> 00:07:14,066 I want to go there. 149 00:07:14,133 --> 00:07:16,736 I'm requesting a special VFR. 150 00:07:16,803 --> 00:07:18,671 NARRATOR: Special VFR allows Zobayan 151 00:07:18,738 --> 00:07:24,377 to navigate visually through the area of low visibility. 152 00:07:24,443 --> 00:07:27,446 November 2 Echo X-ray, hold outside Burbank airspace. 153 00:07:27,513 --> 00:07:30,883 I have an aircraft going around in an inbound citation. 154 00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:32,752 NARRATOR: The controller authorizes Zobayan 155 00:07:32,819 --> 00:07:35,888 to cross into Burbank airspace. 156 00:07:35,955 --> 00:07:38,157 But under the rules of special VFR, 157 00:07:38,224 --> 00:07:42,962 he must now wait until the airspace is clear of traffic. 158 00:07:43,029 --> 00:07:44,564 OK, we'll hold outside Burbank. 159 00:07:44,630 --> 00:07:47,200 2 Echo X-ray. 160 00:07:47,266 --> 00:07:49,735 Hey, everyone, we'll have to circle here for a few minutes 161 00:07:49,802 --> 00:07:52,171 while we wait for a few planes to get out of our way. 162 00:07:52,238 --> 00:07:53,906 Yeah, it shouldn't delay us too much. 163 00:07:56,242 --> 00:07:59,612 Anytime you have a hold, it puts a great deal 164 00:07:59,679 --> 00:08:01,814 of pressure on you as a pilot, because you're 165 00:08:01,881 --> 00:08:03,216 going to be late. 166 00:08:08,454 --> 00:08:11,390 NARRATOR: Finally, after holding for 12 minutes, 167 00:08:11,457 --> 00:08:13,926 the Burbank airspace clears, and Zobayan 168 00:08:13,993 --> 00:08:16,195 is allowed to pass through. 169 00:08:16,262 --> 00:08:18,764 November 2 Echo X-ray, cleared through Burbank. 170 00:08:18,831 --> 00:08:20,499 Maintain special VFR. 171 00:08:20,566 --> 00:08:21,534 Copy that. 172 00:08:21,601 --> 00:08:22,635 Will maintain special VFR. 173 00:08:22,702 --> 00:08:23,903 Copter 2 Echo X-ray. 174 00:08:26,205 --> 00:08:29,175 NARRATOR: From Burbank, the helicopter will follow the I-5 175 00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:32,245 freeway Northwest and then the 118 176 00:08:32,311 --> 00:08:34,347 around the top of Van Nuys airspace, 177 00:08:34,413 --> 00:08:39,452 then south to follow the 101 to Camarillo. 178 00:08:39,518 --> 00:08:46,259 Landmarks for flying aircraft in LA is really important. 179 00:08:46,325 --> 00:08:48,227 NARRATOR: Kobe Bryant and the other passengers 180 00:08:48,294 --> 00:08:50,730 are anticipated to arrive in Camarillo just 181 00:08:50,796 --> 00:08:54,367 a few minutes behind schedule. 182 00:08:54,433 --> 00:08:57,069 Van Nuys helicopter 2 Echo X-ray with you 183 00:08:57,136 --> 00:08:59,105 for the special VFR transition. 184 00:08:59,171 --> 00:09:00,740 CONTROLLER (ON RADIO): Helicopter 72 185 00:09:00,806 --> 00:09:05,411 Echo X-ray, cleared into Van Nuys along the 118 freeway 186 00:09:05,478 --> 00:09:06,913 westbound. 187 00:09:06,979 --> 00:09:08,381 NARRATOR: The helicopter is cleared 188 00:09:08,447 --> 00:09:10,449 to pass through the airspace near Van Nuys. 189 00:09:13,352 --> 00:09:17,189 Zobayan now dials in the final controller for this journey, 190 00:09:17,256 --> 00:09:19,258 the Southern California Radar Approach 191 00:09:19,325 --> 00:09:21,127 Controller, who will handle the flight 192 00:09:21,193 --> 00:09:23,629 until it reaches Camarillo. 193 00:09:23,696 --> 00:09:28,401 SoCal helicopter 72 Echo X-ray with you at 570 to Camarillo. 194 00:09:28,467 --> 00:09:32,004 Helicopter 72 Echo X-ray, SoCal approach. 195 00:09:32,071 --> 00:09:33,773 Roger, are you just going to stay down that low 196 00:09:33,839 --> 00:09:36,175 all the way to Camarillo? 197 00:09:36,242 --> 00:09:37,610 NARRATOR: The helicopter is flying 198 00:09:37,677 --> 00:09:41,580 570 feet above the ground. 199 00:09:41,647 --> 00:09:42,748 Yes, sir, low altitude-- 200 00:09:42,815 --> 00:09:44,650 2 Echo X-ray. 201 00:09:44,717 --> 00:09:47,420 NARRATOR: Zobayan needs to stay below the clouds, which 202 00:09:47,486 --> 00:09:51,257 are around 1,000 feet above the ground. 203 00:09:51,324 --> 00:09:56,562 Where he went was the lowest route available because 204 00:09:56,629 --> 00:09:57,596 of the weather. 205 00:09:57,663 --> 00:09:58,898 Roger. 206 00:09:58,965 --> 00:10:01,534 I'm gonna lose radar with you shortly. 207 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,236 NARRATOR: But at the low altitude and hilly terrain, 208 00:10:04,303 --> 00:10:06,205 controllers won't be able to maintain 209 00:10:06,272 --> 00:10:09,775 radar contact with the flight. 210 00:10:09,842 --> 00:10:13,946 The controllers would not see him on radar, he was so low. 211 00:10:14,013 --> 00:10:16,615 Copy, that 2 Echo X-ray. 212 00:10:28,561 --> 00:10:30,997 NARRATOR: Less than 10 minutes from his destination, 213 00:10:31,063 --> 00:10:34,233 the visibility gets worse. 214 00:10:34,300 --> 00:10:37,069 In the Los Angeles Basin area, it's 215 00:10:37,136 --> 00:10:40,172 well known to get this marine layer of colder water 216 00:10:40,239 --> 00:10:43,776 temperatures, warmer air, where you get these low clouds, 217 00:10:43,843 --> 00:10:47,313 and you get lower visibilities. 218 00:10:47,380 --> 00:10:49,648 NARRATOR: Zobayan radios in his intention 219 00:10:49,715 --> 00:10:53,285 to climb above some low clouds. 220 00:10:53,352 --> 00:10:54,887 We're going to go ahead and start our climb 221 00:10:54,954 --> 00:10:56,989 to go above the layers. 222 00:11:06,332 --> 00:11:10,202 2 Echo X-ray, where are you? 223 00:11:10,269 --> 00:11:14,206 Just West of Van Nuys, 2 Echo X-ray. 224 00:11:14,273 --> 00:11:16,809 2 Echo X-ray, ident? 225 00:11:16,876 --> 00:11:19,712 NARRATOR: The controller hasn't been tracking the helicopter. 226 00:11:19,779 --> 00:11:22,915 He needs Zobayan to flash his transponder signal, 227 00:11:22,982 --> 00:11:25,184 so he can locate it on his screen. 228 00:11:25,251 --> 00:11:27,420 You press a button on your transponder. 229 00:11:27,486 --> 00:11:30,656 That flashes on their radar screen, 230 00:11:30,723 --> 00:11:31,757 so they know where you are. 231 00:11:31,824 --> 00:11:33,659 Ident. 232 00:11:38,364 --> 00:11:41,167 2 Echo X-ray, say intentions. 233 00:11:41,233 --> 00:11:45,871 We're climbing to 4,000, 2 Echo X-ray. 234 00:11:45,938 --> 00:11:49,675 And what are you going to do when you reach altitude? 235 00:12:09,095 --> 00:12:10,996 NARRATOR: In the hills near Calabasas, 236 00:12:11,063 --> 00:12:14,200 witnesses see a helicopter emerge from the clouds 237 00:12:14,266 --> 00:12:16,302 and hit the ground. 238 00:12:23,976 --> 00:12:26,245 The team tracking Kobe Bryant's flight 239 00:12:26,312 --> 00:12:29,148 realizes something's gone wrong. 240 00:12:29,215 --> 00:12:32,685 The helicopter should have landed in Camarillo by now. 241 00:12:32,751 --> 00:12:36,589 It has disappeared from their flight tracker. 242 00:12:36,655 --> 00:12:38,124 We have some breaking news. 243 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:40,960 A helicopter crash in Southern California. 244 00:12:41,026 --> 00:12:43,028 Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies 245 00:12:43,095 --> 00:12:45,364 responding to reports of that crash 246 00:12:45,431 --> 00:12:47,766 just before 10 AM Pacific time. 247 00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:50,936 It's located in the Calabasas area. 248 00:12:51,003 --> 00:12:52,838 NARRATOR: It doesn't take long before the media 249 00:12:52,905 --> 00:12:55,741 is reporting the tragic news. 250 00:12:55,808 --> 00:12:59,578 Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, 251 00:12:59,645 --> 00:13:01,380 along with seven other people have been 252 00:13:01,447 --> 00:13:04,049 killed in a helicopter crash. 253 00:13:04,116 --> 00:13:06,785 It's just one of those things where you can read the words. 254 00:13:06,852 --> 00:13:10,923 And you kind of process them, but you don't really. 255 00:13:10,990 --> 00:13:13,726 It's hard for it to sink in because you've got to think 256 00:13:13,792 --> 00:13:17,062 about he's never coming back. 257 00:13:17,129 --> 00:13:18,664 He was the guy. 258 00:13:18,731 --> 00:13:21,267 He was my icon, my role model, who got me into the sport, who 259 00:13:21,333 --> 00:13:23,169 got me playing. 260 00:13:23,235 --> 00:13:26,305 I'm just at a loss for words right now. 261 00:13:26,372 --> 00:13:28,874 You won't see another player like him again. 262 00:13:28,941 --> 00:13:30,776 He will be missed. 263 00:13:30,843 --> 00:13:32,878 MAN: There is this tremendous outpouring 264 00:13:32,945 --> 00:13:35,014 of grief in Los Angeles. 265 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,516 People flocked to Staples Center, 266 00:13:37,583 --> 00:13:39,318 left all kinds of different mementos. 267 00:13:41,921 --> 00:13:44,356 And this is much bigger than basketball, I think, 268 00:13:44,423 --> 00:13:47,660 just because I think Kobe was a real symbol, you know, 269 00:13:47,726 --> 00:13:50,296 of just hard work and dedication. 270 00:13:50,362 --> 00:13:54,533 MAN: Everybody was really just heartsick by what happened. 271 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:55,868 Love you, Kobe. 272 00:13:55,935 --> 00:13:57,770 Love you, Gigi, and all the family. 273 00:14:02,374 --> 00:14:06,378 We're here to conduct a safety investigation. 274 00:14:06,445 --> 00:14:10,683 And our mission is not to just determine what happened 275 00:14:10,749 --> 00:14:13,352 but why it happened and how it happened 276 00:14:13,419 --> 00:14:19,024 to prevent a similar accident from ever happening again. 277 00:14:19,091 --> 00:14:22,294 NARRATOR: The NTSB begins its investigation at the crash 278 00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:26,432 site, looking for any clues to explain why a state-of-the-art 279 00:14:26,498 --> 00:14:28,267 helicopter being flown by a highly 280 00:14:28,334 --> 00:14:35,107 experienced pilot crashed 24 miles short of its destination. 281 00:14:35,174 --> 00:14:36,942 The first thing you do at the crash site 282 00:14:37,009 --> 00:14:39,511 is try to see that all the components 283 00:14:39,578 --> 00:14:41,247 make it to the crash site. 284 00:14:41,313 --> 00:14:43,949 Was there any kind of mechanical failures? 285 00:14:44,016 --> 00:14:48,354 Did a rotor blade break or a tail rotor come off? 286 00:14:48,420 --> 00:14:51,590 NARRATOR: The team uses a drone to scan the accident site 287 00:14:51,657 --> 00:14:54,093 and study the shape of the debris. 288 00:14:54,159 --> 00:14:56,128 Looking at this accident site, it's 289 00:14:56,195 --> 00:14:59,632 very clear this was a relatively high rate of descent. 290 00:14:59,698 --> 00:15:03,602 The helicopter hit, and the wreckage then bounced about 90 291 00:15:03,669 --> 00:15:06,105 feet, where it came to a rest. 292 00:15:06,171 --> 00:15:09,441 So there was a lot more vertical speed here than you 293 00:15:09,508 --> 00:15:11,877 have in horizontal speed. 294 00:15:11,944 --> 00:15:13,812 And all the parts of the helicopter 295 00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:15,314 made it to the accident site. 296 00:15:20,185 --> 00:15:23,122 NARRATOR: Investigators study flight control surfaces-- 297 00:15:23,188 --> 00:15:26,025 the engines and rotors, as well as the helicopter's 298 00:15:26,091 --> 00:15:28,661 flight instruments. 299 00:15:28,727 --> 00:15:31,463 Examination of those components found that there was 300 00:15:31,530 --> 00:15:34,466 no evidence of any pre-impact failures-- 301 00:15:34,533 --> 00:15:37,236 that all the mechanical systems, electronic systems, 302 00:15:37,303 --> 00:15:40,139 everything at that time appeared to be working fine. 303 00:15:42,975 --> 00:15:44,910 NARRATOR: The NTSB's Bill English 304 00:15:44,977 --> 00:15:47,646 has led investigations into some of the world's most 305 00:15:47,713 --> 00:15:49,548 notorious aviation accidents. 306 00:15:49,615 --> 00:15:53,519 We need to cover all our bases on this one. 307 00:15:53,585 --> 00:15:56,155 Knowing that there was a high-profile person on board, 308 00:15:56,221 --> 00:16:00,959 obviously NTSB responded with a major investigations team. 309 00:16:01,026 --> 00:16:03,662 OK, he takes off at 907. 310 00:16:03,729 --> 00:16:06,198 He flies northwest. 311 00:16:06,265 --> 00:16:09,134 NARRATOR: To better understand what happened, investigators 312 00:16:09,201 --> 00:16:13,038 piece together a detailed flight path from an ADSB system 313 00:16:13,105 --> 00:16:17,743 that's on board the Sikorsky helicopter. 314 00:16:17,810 --> 00:16:21,880 ADSB data is like transponder data. 315 00:16:21,947 --> 00:16:24,083 Controllers can see, and it's recorded-- 316 00:16:24,149 --> 00:16:28,520 your airspeed, altitude, and headings-- other information. 317 00:16:28,587 --> 00:16:31,557 And so you have this plotting capability. 318 00:16:31,623 --> 00:16:34,893 Looked like there was some kind of hold here at Burbank. 319 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,130 And he follows the I-5 to Van Nuys, 320 00:16:38,197 --> 00:16:40,032 and then south to the 101, which he 321 00:16:40,099 --> 00:16:42,601 follows until he makes this U-turn 322 00:16:42,668 --> 00:16:44,503 straight into a hillside. 323 00:16:44,570 --> 00:16:47,706 You see this turn to the left, where he's coming 324 00:16:47,773 --> 00:16:49,842 back around or doing something. 325 00:16:49,908 --> 00:16:52,811 And that question is now in the investigation. 326 00:16:52,878 --> 00:16:56,048 What's exactly the pilot doing here? 327 00:16:56,115 --> 00:16:59,084 Let's take a look at the visibility. 328 00:16:59,151 --> 00:17:01,487 NARRATOR: They study visibility reports from weather 329 00:17:01,553 --> 00:17:04,223 stations along the route. 330 00:17:04,289 --> 00:17:06,358 He did manage to avoid the worst of it here-- 331 00:17:06,425 --> 00:17:09,895 a bit socked in near Burbank and Van Nuys, but nothing 332 00:17:09,962 --> 00:17:11,196 he can't get through. 333 00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:15,834 So he had four miles of visibility. 334 00:17:15,901 --> 00:17:17,703 When he got near Burbank Airport, 335 00:17:17,770 --> 00:17:20,572 it was two and a half miles' visibility, but still 336 00:17:20,639 --> 00:17:22,007 totally flyable for him. 337 00:17:22,074 --> 00:17:24,510 In fact, by his operation specifications, 338 00:17:24,576 --> 00:17:27,146 he could go down to one mile visibility. 339 00:17:27,212 --> 00:17:31,183 OK, I get it if the visibility was down to zero. 340 00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:33,318 But this wasn't that bad. 341 00:17:33,385 --> 00:17:35,320 So what happened to this guy? 342 00:17:35,387 --> 00:17:38,657 Why do we have a high-time pilot in an aircraft 343 00:17:38,724 --> 00:17:41,860 that's capable of flight and visibility conditions he should 344 00:17:41,927 --> 00:17:43,996 have been able to handle either lose 345 00:17:44,062 --> 00:17:47,199 control or somehow inadvertently flies 346 00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:48,734 helicopter into the ground? 347 00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:52,271 That becomes the key piece of this investigation. 348 00:17:52,337 --> 00:17:54,540 We need to figure out what he could actually see. 349 00:18:03,382 --> 00:18:05,484 We have a request for the public. 350 00:18:05,551 --> 00:18:10,389 We're looking for photos of the weather 351 00:18:10,456 --> 00:18:12,391 in the area of the crash. 352 00:18:12,458 --> 00:18:18,430 If you could send those photos to witness@ntsb.gov. 353 00:18:19,731 --> 00:18:22,668 NARRATOR: Investigators make a plea to the public for evidence 354 00:18:22,734 --> 00:18:24,803 regarding the Island Express helicopter 355 00:18:24,870 --> 00:18:30,175 crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant and eight others. 356 00:18:30,242 --> 00:18:32,711 They're looking for clues to explain how 357 00:18:32,778 --> 00:18:36,415 the pilot, Ara Zobayan, ended up hitting a hillside 358 00:18:36,482 --> 00:18:39,251 on a route he knew well. 359 00:18:39,318 --> 00:18:44,656 More than 8,300 flying hours, instructor on the S-76, 360 00:18:44,723 --> 00:18:48,093 chief pilot at Island Express and apparently 361 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,128 Kobe's favorite pilot. 362 00:18:50,195 --> 00:18:53,232 Bit of a superstar. 363 00:18:53,298 --> 00:18:54,800 Yeah. 364 00:18:54,867 --> 00:18:58,670 This pilot was not a rookie who just got his license. 365 00:18:58,737 --> 00:19:01,540 He was one of LA's top helicopter pilots 366 00:19:01,607 --> 00:19:04,543 working for one of its top companies 367 00:19:04,610 --> 00:19:07,980 with some of its most high-profile clients. 368 00:19:08,046 --> 00:19:10,616 NARRATOR: Records show that at 7 AM on the morning 369 00:19:10,682 --> 00:19:12,885 of the flight, Zobayan checked the weather 370 00:19:12,951 --> 00:19:15,220 for his pre-flight risk assessment 371 00:19:15,287 --> 00:19:17,189 and determined that even though there were 372 00:19:17,256 --> 00:19:19,691 low-hanging clouds blanketing the area, 373 00:19:19,758 --> 00:19:23,128 the flight was low-risk. 374 00:19:23,195 --> 00:19:28,600 A risk assessment is weather, anxiety, sleep-- 375 00:19:28,667 --> 00:19:31,470 all these factors that go into a flight. 376 00:19:31,537 --> 00:19:35,240 But a low-lying cloud layer surrounding Los Angeles known 377 00:19:35,307 --> 00:19:39,144 as a marine layer forced Zobayan to alter his regular, 378 00:19:39,211 --> 00:19:42,648 more direct route. 379 00:19:42,714 --> 00:19:44,716 Because of the weather, he flew more 380 00:19:44,783 --> 00:19:46,652 inland than he normally does-- 381 00:19:46,718 --> 00:19:50,122 sort of a backdoor way in to where they were going. 382 00:19:50,188 --> 00:19:53,225 Based on the forecast, his plan was OK. 383 00:19:53,292 --> 00:19:56,562 Pretty good visibility all along the way. 384 00:19:56,628 --> 00:19:59,264 So what went wrong? 385 00:19:59,331 --> 00:20:01,166 NARRATOR: Investigators need to understand 386 00:20:01,233 --> 00:20:04,670 the exact conditions Zobayan flew into the final moments 387 00:20:04,736 --> 00:20:05,971 of the flight. 388 00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:10,342 These are three separate cameras, all 389 00:20:10,409 --> 00:20:12,144 facing south toward the 101. 390 00:20:12,210 --> 00:20:14,279 Couldn't ask for a better view. 391 00:20:14,346 --> 00:20:17,282 NARRATOR: The NTSB's plea for pictures of the weather 392 00:20:17,349 --> 00:20:18,817 pays off. 393 00:20:18,884 --> 00:20:21,320 A nearby baseball facility had surveillance cameras 394 00:20:21,386 --> 00:20:23,889 pointed at key sections of the flight path 395 00:20:23,956 --> 00:20:25,357 as the helicopter flew past. 396 00:20:25,424 --> 00:20:29,962 Let's see what this one shows on a clear day. 397 00:20:30,028 --> 00:20:32,998 NARRATOR: Investigators compare images from the same camera 398 00:20:33,065 --> 00:20:35,867 taken on a clear day to images recorded 399 00:20:35,934 --> 00:20:38,236 at the time of the accident. 400 00:20:38,303 --> 00:20:39,571 Yeah, perfect. 401 00:20:39,638 --> 00:20:42,240 OK, so one minute before the accident, 402 00:20:42,307 --> 00:20:45,177 the helicopter would be bombing along here. 403 00:20:45,243 --> 00:20:46,511 Can't see it. 404 00:20:46,578 --> 00:20:48,880 How close did it get to the camera? 405 00:20:48,947 --> 00:20:52,684 Best view of it would be here. 406 00:20:52,751 --> 00:20:54,953 That's 4,400 feet. 407 00:20:55,020 --> 00:20:57,789 NARRATOR: The helicopter is less than a mile from the camera 408 00:20:57,856 --> 00:20:59,157 but isn't visible. 409 00:20:59,224 --> 00:21:01,627 OK, so what about larger objects? 410 00:21:01,693 --> 00:21:04,663 These hills, for instance-- 411 00:21:04,730 --> 00:21:09,468 visible on a clear day, but not at the time of the crash. 412 00:21:09,534 --> 00:21:12,838 That hilltop is 8,000 feet away. 413 00:21:12,904 --> 00:21:14,473 So visibility beneath the clouds 414 00:21:14,539 --> 00:21:16,541 was less than 8,000 feet. 415 00:21:16,608 --> 00:21:18,276 It's a mile and a half. 416 00:21:18,343 --> 00:21:20,579 NARRATOR: The video study tells investigators 417 00:21:20,646 --> 00:21:22,347 that around the time of the accident, 418 00:21:22,414 --> 00:21:25,417 Zobayan would not have been able to see any further 419 00:21:25,484 --> 00:21:28,420 than one and a half miles. 420 00:21:28,487 --> 00:21:31,456 You're only allowed to fly in visibilities 421 00:21:31,523 --> 00:21:34,893 one mile or greater. 422 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,195 A mile and a half-- 423 00:21:37,262 --> 00:21:42,234 pretty low, pretty-- pretty minimal. 424 00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:44,803 NARRATOR: Investigators know Zobayan would have been 425 00:21:44,870 --> 00:21:47,005 able to fly safely below the clouds 426 00:21:47,072 --> 00:21:49,474 with one and a half-mile visibility. 427 00:21:49,541 --> 00:21:53,078 So what if he was actually above the cloud base? 428 00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:58,684 But he was only 450 feet above the ground. 429 00:21:58,750 --> 00:22:01,086 NARRATOR: The cloud ceiling, the base of the cloud layer, 430 00:22:01,153 --> 00:22:06,391 was reported to be 1,100 feet near Van Nuys. 431 00:22:06,458 --> 00:22:09,227 But Zobayan was flying about 450 feet 432 00:22:09,294 --> 00:22:13,632 above the ground, which would put him well below the clouds. 433 00:22:13,699 --> 00:22:16,702 These are images from the camera on the 101 facing west. 434 00:22:19,237 --> 00:22:22,774 OK, you can just make him out here actually heading 435 00:22:22,841 --> 00:22:25,077 into fairly heavy clouds. 436 00:22:25,143 --> 00:22:29,014 Same camera, 3 seconds later, he's disappeared. 437 00:22:29,081 --> 00:22:31,216 And then we have a witness who said that she saw 438 00:22:31,283 --> 00:22:32,918 the helicopter disappear into what 439 00:22:32,984 --> 00:22:37,556 she described as a thick wall of heavy clouds. 440 00:22:37,622 --> 00:22:41,293 The NTSB had quite a few very good witnesses, in my opinion. 441 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:43,628 And they also had cameras in the area. 442 00:22:43,695 --> 00:22:48,033 So they could collect data in real time of what this pilot 443 00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:50,535 would have been encountering. 444 00:22:50,602 --> 00:22:51,870 The surveillance data shows him 445 00:22:51,937 --> 00:22:54,039 only 450 feet above the ground. 446 00:22:56,241 --> 00:22:59,711 So the cloud base was no more than 450 feet above the ground, 447 00:22:59,778 --> 00:23:03,081 not the 1,100 feet which was being reported along his route. 448 00:23:06,384 --> 00:23:09,955 The report at an airport five miles away 449 00:23:10,021 --> 00:23:13,058 can be greatly different than what you're encountering 450 00:23:13,125 --> 00:23:15,894 because of uplifting winds and that type of thing 451 00:23:15,961 --> 00:23:18,263 around the hills. 452 00:23:18,330 --> 00:23:19,998 NARRATOR: The area near Calabasas 453 00:23:20,065 --> 00:23:22,234 has its own unique climate. 454 00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:26,471 The Malibu Canyon can channel fog up from the Pacific Ocean. 455 00:23:26,538 --> 00:23:30,008 That fog is known to pool precisely where Zobayan 456 00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:32,744 was seen flying into clouds. 457 00:23:32,811 --> 00:23:36,214 The fog gathers here at Myrtle Road. 458 00:23:36,281 --> 00:23:40,118 And this is where our witnesses saw him enter the clouds. 459 00:23:40,185 --> 00:23:41,820 NARRATOR: Investigators have determined 460 00:23:41,887 --> 00:23:44,456 that just over a minute before the accident, 461 00:23:44,523 --> 00:23:48,093 Zobayan flew into dense clouds that would have reduced 462 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,496 his visibility to near zero. 463 00:23:51,563 --> 00:23:52,597 That clinches it. 464 00:23:52,664 --> 00:23:54,132 He flew into IMC. 465 00:23:56,635 --> 00:24:00,172 NARRATOR: IMC, Instrument Meteorological Conditions, 466 00:24:00,238 --> 00:24:03,441 is when visibility is so poor that pilots need 467 00:24:03,508 --> 00:24:07,078 to fly only on instruments. 468 00:24:07,145 --> 00:24:10,081 They were only authorized to fly under visual flight rules. 469 00:24:10,148 --> 00:24:12,217 Legally, he's not allowed to enter it. 470 00:24:12,284 --> 00:24:15,353 He's only allowed to go in visual conditions only. 471 00:24:15,420 --> 00:24:17,189 And yet he did. 472 00:24:17,255 --> 00:24:20,325 NARRATOR: In aviation, there's a term for VFR pilots 473 00:24:20,392 --> 00:24:22,661 who fly into low visibility conditions. 474 00:24:22,727 --> 00:24:27,065 It's called an inadvertent encounter with IMC. 475 00:24:27,132 --> 00:24:28,500 It can happen at night. 476 00:24:28,567 --> 00:24:31,102 We fly into a cloud that you didn't see. 477 00:24:31,169 --> 00:24:34,339 It can happen that you're choosing to avoid something, 478 00:24:34,406 --> 00:24:36,708 and you inadvertently go into a cloud. 479 00:24:36,775 --> 00:24:40,412 Unfortunately it's an accident that happens way too often. 480 00:24:40,478 --> 00:24:42,647 NARRATOR: Inadvertent IMC is a leading 481 00:24:42,714 --> 00:24:46,484 cause of aviation accidents over the past 10 years. 482 00:24:46,551 --> 00:24:48,753 More than 80% of them are fatal. 483 00:24:48,820 --> 00:24:50,956 You can't see where the horizon is. 484 00:24:51,022 --> 00:24:53,558 And you can't see the sky from the ground. 485 00:24:53,625 --> 00:24:56,761 You don't know visually, which is our main sense. 486 00:24:56,828 --> 00:24:59,397 You have to rely on secondary senses 487 00:24:59,464 --> 00:25:00,966 such as sense of balance. 488 00:25:01,032 --> 00:25:04,202 And there are illusions that come up. 489 00:25:04,269 --> 00:25:06,771 NARRATOR: An inadvertent encounter with instrument 490 00:25:06,838 --> 00:25:09,341 conditions is so potentially dangerous 491 00:25:09,407 --> 00:25:13,044 that pilots are trained to do whatever they can to avoid it. 492 00:25:16,081 --> 00:25:18,283 How did he let himself get into this situation? 493 00:25:24,856 --> 00:25:27,993 Let's see his speeds and altitudes. 494 00:25:28,059 --> 00:25:31,096 NARRATOR: The data from the ADSB gives investigators 495 00:25:31,162 --> 00:25:33,899 a detailed picture of the helicopter's altitude 496 00:25:33,965 --> 00:25:36,735 and speed as it approached Calabasas. 497 00:25:36,801 --> 00:25:40,105 If Zobayan tried to avoid the worsening conditions, 498 00:25:40,171 --> 00:25:42,040 the data would show it. 499 00:25:42,107 --> 00:25:45,844 He's bombing along here at about 140 knots. 500 00:25:45,911 --> 00:25:48,446 Visibility is getting worse and worse, 501 00:25:48,513 --> 00:25:49,714 but he's not slowing down. 502 00:25:49,781 --> 00:25:51,082 He's not turning around. 503 00:25:51,149 --> 00:25:54,185 He just keeps going. 504 00:25:54,252 --> 00:25:55,687 Why? 505 00:25:59,891 --> 00:26:03,295 He could have turned around, landed at Van Nuys. 506 00:26:03,361 --> 00:26:06,498 He could have circled for a while where near the airport, 507 00:26:06,564 --> 00:26:08,867 waiting for the conditions to improve. 508 00:26:08,934 --> 00:26:10,568 For whatever reason, we don't know, 509 00:26:10,635 --> 00:26:14,172 he chose none of those options. 510 00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:17,575 NARRATOR: The team now considers the widely held belief 511 00:26:17,642 --> 00:26:20,578 that Zobayan was pressured to continue the flight 512 00:26:20,645 --> 00:26:23,882 by his high-profile passenger. 513 00:26:23,949 --> 00:26:26,785 A lot of people wondered after the crash happened if Kobe, 514 00:26:26,851 --> 00:26:29,754 being Kobe, might have put pressure on this pilot to get 515 00:26:29,821 --> 00:26:31,790 to where he wanted to go, because that's the whole reason 516 00:26:31,856 --> 00:26:33,892 that he was taking the helicopter in the first place 517 00:26:33,959 --> 00:26:35,794 is to get from point A to point B 518 00:26:35,860 --> 00:26:39,164 and do it without any unnecessary delays. 519 00:26:39,230 --> 00:26:42,033 The same passengers take the same flight the day 520 00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:44,536 before the accident. 521 00:26:44,602 --> 00:26:46,705 They're scheduled to take off at 9:45, 522 00:26:46,771 --> 00:26:51,409 but Kobe's changed that to 9:00. 523 00:26:51,476 --> 00:26:53,211 They moved it up by 45 minutes so 524 00:26:53,278 --> 00:26:55,714 that Kobe could watch another team or teams 525 00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:59,084 play in preparation for his daughter's basketball 526 00:26:59,150 --> 00:27:01,586 tournament on Sunday. 527 00:27:01,653 --> 00:27:04,322 So they get airborne just after 9:00, 528 00:27:04,389 --> 00:27:07,392 and then this happens. 529 00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:10,195 They're held up for 12 minutes. 530 00:27:10,261 --> 00:27:13,198 November 2 Echo X-ray, hold outside Burbank airspace. 531 00:27:13,264 --> 00:27:16,434 I have an aircraft going around in an inbound citation. 532 00:27:16,501 --> 00:27:19,738 NARRATOR: Investigators know that Kobe's helicopter was held 533 00:27:19,804 --> 00:27:22,273 up at Burbank for 12 minutes while Zobayan 534 00:27:22,340 --> 00:27:25,610 waited for traffic to clear the controlled airspace. 535 00:27:25,677 --> 00:27:27,245 OK, we'll hold outside Burbank. 536 00:27:27,312 --> 00:27:28,546 2 Echo X-ray. 537 00:27:32,150 --> 00:27:34,452 NARRATOR: A little more than 10 minutes later, 538 00:27:34,519 --> 00:27:36,621 Zobayan flew into thick cloud cover 539 00:27:36,688 --> 00:27:42,460 at a speed of 160 miles an hour as he approached Camarillo. 540 00:27:42,527 --> 00:27:44,829 In my opinion, 140 knots is probably 541 00:27:44,896 --> 00:27:46,664 twice the speed he should have been operating 542 00:27:46,731 --> 00:27:48,199 in those visual conditions. 543 00:27:48,266 --> 00:27:50,769 He should have slowed down. 544 00:27:50,835 --> 00:27:53,304 Was he trying to make up for the lost time? 545 00:27:53,371 --> 00:27:56,174 NARRATOR: The team digs into Kobe Bryant's previous flights 546 00:27:56,241 --> 00:27:59,611 with Island Express to see if there's any history of him 547 00:27:59,677 --> 00:28:01,346 putting pressure on pilots. 548 00:28:01,413 --> 00:28:04,916 Took 26 flights with Island Express last year, and not once 549 00:28:04,983 --> 00:28:06,918 did he pressure a pilot to keep going. 550 00:28:11,122 --> 00:28:14,426 Kobe would never put pressure on a pilot. 551 00:28:14,492 --> 00:28:16,094 I flew him for two years. 552 00:28:16,161 --> 00:28:21,866 Not once was there ever any amount of pressure from him. 553 00:28:21,933 --> 00:28:25,136 NARRATOR: Investigators find no evidence 554 00:28:25,203 --> 00:28:27,338 that Kobe Bryant or any member of his team 555 00:28:27,405 --> 00:28:31,476 put pressure on Zobayan to continue the flight. 556 00:28:31,543 --> 00:28:33,244 They had a history. 557 00:28:33,311 --> 00:28:35,680 NARRATOR: They scrutinized Kobe Bryant's relationship 558 00:28:35,747 --> 00:28:37,682 with Ara Zobayan for anything that 559 00:28:37,749 --> 00:28:39,684 could have affected the pilot's behavior 560 00:28:39,751 --> 00:28:42,454 on the day of the accident. 561 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,122 More than history. 562 00:28:44,189 --> 00:28:46,124 The director of operations says that Kobe's relationship 563 00:28:46,191 --> 00:28:49,794 with Ara was, quote, "warm and friendly," 564 00:28:49,861 --> 00:28:53,431 that he trusted Ara with his girls and his family, 565 00:28:53,498 --> 00:28:55,233 and that they always wanted Ara. 566 00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:59,437 But the company's VP says that their relationship was more 567 00:28:59,504 --> 00:29:03,908 like a friendship and that Kobe would call him "Mr. Pilot Man." 568 00:29:03,975 --> 00:29:06,911 These guys sure were tight. 569 00:29:06,978 --> 00:29:10,615 The relationship may have been pressure enough. 570 00:29:12,984 --> 00:29:14,519 How's everyone doing today? 571 00:29:14,586 --> 00:29:17,155 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude that Zobayan's 572 00:29:17,222 --> 00:29:19,257 close relationship with Kobe Bryant 573 00:29:19,324 --> 00:29:21,926 may have led to self-induced pressure 574 00:29:21,993 --> 00:29:24,829 to get him to his destination. 575 00:29:24,896 --> 00:29:26,965 Part of the concern here is that the pilot 576 00:29:27,031 --> 00:29:30,435 was trying to complete the mission in part 577 00:29:30,502 --> 00:29:32,570 to satisfy the client. 578 00:29:34,139 --> 00:29:35,740 NARRATOR: Investigators soon find 579 00:29:35,807 --> 00:29:38,543 another important factor that may have influenced 580 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:40,311 Zobayan's decision-making. 581 00:29:40,378 --> 00:29:43,481 Six minutes before the crash, he clears Van Nuys airspace 582 00:29:43,548 --> 00:29:45,150 and heads south-- 583 00:29:45,216 --> 00:29:47,452 tells controllers that he planned to stay low all the way 584 00:29:47,519 --> 00:29:48,620 to Camarillo. 585 00:29:48,686 --> 00:29:50,955 To stay below the clouds. 586 00:29:51,022 --> 00:29:52,924 PILOT (ON RADIO): Helicopter 72 Echo X-ray. 587 00:29:52,991 --> 00:29:54,425 Are you just going to stay down that low 588 00:29:54,492 --> 00:29:55,894 all the way to Camarillo? 589 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,295 Yes, sir-- low altitude. 590 00:29:57,362 --> 00:29:59,230 2 Echo X-ray. 591 00:29:59,297 --> 00:30:01,332 Two minutes later, he starts following 592 00:30:01,399 --> 00:30:05,036 the 101, which should lead him straight into Camarillo. 593 00:30:05,103 --> 00:30:07,872 He bombs along the 101 for two more minutes 594 00:30:07,939 --> 00:30:10,308 until he hits this wall of clouds. 595 00:30:13,711 --> 00:30:16,481 24 miles to go. 596 00:30:16,548 --> 00:30:18,116 He was almost there. 597 00:30:18,183 --> 00:30:19,150 Almost. 598 00:30:19,217 --> 00:30:20,785 NARRATOR: Zobayan was less than 10 599 00:30:20,852 --> 00:30:22,787 minutes away from getting his passengers 600 00:30:22,854 --> 00:30:24,656 to their destination. 601 00:30:24,722 --> 00:30:26,124 When you're close to finishing, 602 00:30:26,191 --> 00:30:28,159 you have a tendency to be willing to tolerate 603 00:30:28,226 --> 00:30:30,361 conditions that might have caused you not 604 00:30:30,428 --> 00:30:32,997 to take the trip originally. 605 00:30:33,064 --> 00:30:35,333 NARRATOR: The team believes Zobayan was suffering 606 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:39,204 from a condition known as plan continuation bias when 607 00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:42,373 he decided to keep going despite deteriorating 608 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,776 weather conditions. 609 00:30:44,842 --> 00:30:48,713 Plan continuation bias is an unconscious bias 610 00:30:48,780 --> 00:30:50,648 to continue with the original plan, 611 00:30:50,715 --> 00:30:52,984 even when conditions change. 612 00:30:53,051 --> 00:30:57,255 But in an aviation environment, it can be deadly. 613 00:30:57,322 --> 00:30:59,724 It doesn't take long for things to start going wrong as 614 00:30:59,791 --> 00:31:01,693 soon as he entered that cloud. 615 00:31:01,759 --> 00:31:03,161 NARRATOR: Instead of turning around, 616 00:31:03,228 --> 00:31:05,964 Zobayan decides to climb above the clouds. 617 00:31:06,030 --> 00:31:07,565 We're going to go ahead and start our climb 618 00:31:07,632 --> 00:31:09,334 to go above the layers. 619 00:31:12,503 --> 00:31:14,672 He starts banking further and further left, 620 00:31:14,739 --> 00:31:18,710 descends rapidly, hits the hill here. 621 00:31:18,776 --> 00:31:20,311 NARRATOR: The pilot's unusual actions 622 00:31:20,378 --> 00:31:22,680 lead investigators to wonder about the level 623 00:31:22,747 --> 00:31:24,148 of training he received. 624 00:31:26,751 --> 00:31:28,653 He was trained to avoid IMC and what 625 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,389 to do if he got into it. 626 00:31:31,456 --> 00:31:33,224 NARRATOR: They discover that Zobayan 627 00:31:33,291 --> 00:31:35,627 was well-trained to escape the precise conditions he 628 00:31:35,693 --> 00:31:37,061 flew into. 629 00:31:39,464 --> 00:31:43,434 This pilot trained routinely for inadvertent IMC situation. 630 00:31:43,501 --> 00:31:46,904 More than that, he was the chief pilot of the company. 631 00:31:46,971 --> 00:31:49,974 He set the safety standards for all the pilots, 632 00:31:50,041 --> 00:31:52,744 and he trained them on how to deal 633 00:31:52,810 --> 00:31:54,879 with instrument conditions. 634 00:31:54,946 --> 00:31:56,447 This is what he was taught. 635 00:31:56,514 --> 00:31:58,283 NARRATOR: A review of Zobayan's training 636 00:31:58,349 --> 00:32:02,153 shows that he was taught to reduce his speed, 637 00:32:02,220 --> 00:32:06,057 use the autopilot to climb above the clouds, 638 00:32:06,124 --> 00:32:08,059 and then declare an emergency. 639 00:32:08,126 --> 00:32:10,295 His training was good. 640 00:32:10,361 --> 00:32:14,565 NARRATOR: But did Zobayan follow his training? 641 00:32:14,632 --> 00:32:17,235 Here, he's entering an area of low visibility, 642 00:32:17,302 --> 00:32:20,038 still flying well above 100 knots. 643 00:32:20,104 --> 00:32:21,839 No evidence of slowing down. 644 00:32:21,906 --> 00:32:25,410 NARRATOR: Investigators know Zobayan did not reduce speed. 645 00:32:25,476 --> 00:32:28,680 They now wonder if he engaged the autopilot. 646 00:32:28,746 --> 00:32:30,448 Play. 647 00:32:30,515 --> 00:32:31,649 PILOT (ON RADIO): We're going to go ahead and start our climb 648 00:32:31,716 --> 00:32:33,084 to go above the layers. 649 00:32:33,151 --> 00:32:34,552 Look at that rate of climb-- 650 00:32:34,619 --> 00:32:36,487 1,500 feet a minute. 651 00:32:36,554 --> 00:32:39,390 It can't be the autopilot doing that. 652 00:32:39,457 --> 00:32:42,226 That exceeds the authority of the autopilot system. 653 00:32:42,293 --> 00:32:45,029 Therefore, this climb was being manually controlled. 654 00:32:45,096 --> 00:32:46,898 All right, well, at this point, 655 00:32:46,964 --> 00:32:48,733 he's just trying to get above the clouds 656 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,336 without the autopilot. 657 00:32:51,402 --> 00:32:54,605 NARRATOR: The higher Zobayan climbs into the dense cloud, 658 00:32:54,672 --> 00:32:56,708 the worse the visibility gets. 659 00:32:56,774 --> 00:32:59,277 But he never asks for help. 660 00:32:59,344 --> 00:33:01,279 Well, he never reports an emergency 661 00:33:01,346 --> 00:33:05,116 and never mentions being in IMC. 662 00:33:05,183 --> 00:33:07,552 And the one thing he should have been saying? 663 00:33:07,618 --> 00:33:13,958 Mayday, mayday, mayday, declare an emergency, inadvertent IMC. 664 00:33:14,025 --> 00:33:15,727 He didn't slow down. 665 00:33:15,793 --> 00:33:17,195 He didn't use his autopilot. 666 00:33:17,261 --> 00:33:19,897 He never declared an emergency. 667 00:33:19,964 --> 00:33:23,167 He ignored all his training. 668 00:33:23,234 --> 00:33:25,470 There are basic procedures that should be followed. 669 00:33:25,536 --> 00:33:29,140 And you have to have very cautious approach to any sort 670 00:33:29,207 --> 00:33:30,875 of instrument conditions. 671 00:33:30,942 --> 00:33:34,579 This was not evident in the way the pilot flew that day. 672 00:33:39,851 --> 00:33:41,452 NARRATOR: By ignoring his training, 673 00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:45,623 Zobayan found himself in a rapid climb with no visibility 674 00:33:45,690 --> 00:33:47,925 and without the help of the autopilot-- 675 00:33:47,992 --> 00:33:52,497 prime conditions for becoming spatially disoriented. 676 00:33:52,563 --> 00:33:54,665 Annemarie Landman studies the effects 677 00:33:54,732 --> 00:33:57,735 of spatial disorientation in pilots. 678 00:33:57,802 --> 00:34:00,204 If you take away outside visual reference from a pilot, 679 00:34:00,271 --> 00:34:03,941 then he or she will really have to trust the instruments, 680 00:34:04,008 --> 00:34:07,178 because if you don't have outside visual reference, then 681 00:34:07,245 --> 00:34:11,048 any sensation that you feel can be very misleading. 682 00:34:11,115 --> 00:34:14,619 NARRATOR: Did Ara Zobayan suffer the effects of disorientation 683 00:34:14,685 --> 00:34:17,588 after flying into dense clouds? 684 00:34:17,655 --> 00:34:18,456 MAN: 2 Echo X-ray. 685 00:34:18,523 --> 00:34:20,057 Say intentions. 686 00:34:20,124 --> 00:34:22,293 NARRATOR: Zobayan's last words show 687 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,729 that's precisely what happened. 688 00:34:24,796 --> 00:34:26,330 PILOT (ON RADIO): We're climbing to 4,000. 689 00:34:26,397 --> 00:34:27,698 2 Echo X-ray. 690 00:34:27,765 --> 00:34:29,167 Did you hear that? 691 00:34:29,233 --> 00:34:31,035 It's like he completely lost his bearings. 692 00:34:32,937 --> 00:34:35,740 NARRATOR: The recording tells investigators that Zobayan 693 00:34:35,807 --> 00:34:37,809 believed he was climbing when he was 694 00:34:37,875 --> 00:34:40,678 actually descending rapidly toward the ground 695 00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:43,848 in a steep left turn. 696 00:34:43,915 --> 00:34:49,053 It's what aviators call "the graveyard spiral." 697 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:50,955 To right that aircraft-- 698 00:34:51,022 --> 00:34:52,123 no. 699 00:34:52,190 --> 00:34:54,292 In a mountainous area, you're done. 700 00:34:54,358 --> 00:34:56,594 You're absolutely done. 701 00:34:56,661 --> 00:34:58,129 NARRATOR: The team has pieced together 702 00:34:58,196 --> 00:35:01,299 a picture of a pilot who flew into prime conditions 703 00:35:01,365 --> 00:35:03,568 for causing disorientation. 704 00:35:03,634 --> 00:35:07,071 Zobayan's problem starts just after he flies into the cloud. 705 00:35:07,138 --> 00:35:09,941 He decides the best thing to do is to fly above it. 706 00:35:10,007 --> 00:35:12,043 NARRATOR: But as he climbs, visibility 707 00:35:12,109 --> 00:35:14,912 worsens, and his reference to the highway below 708 00:35:14,979 --> 00:35:18,683 and the horizon ahead quickly disappear. 709 00:35:18,749 --> 00:35:20,551 It's all but impossible for pilots 710 00:35:20,618 --> 00:35:24,655 to determine a plane's pitch and roll without a visual reference 711 00:35:24,722 --> 00:35:26,324 to their surroundings. 712 00:35:26,390 --> 00:35:30,561 Without visual cues, the human body is unable to maintain 713 00:35:30,628 --> 00:35:31,863 its spatial bearings. 714 00:35:31,929 --> 00:35:35,900 The result is disorientation. 715 00:35:35,967 --> 00:35:40,371 As the highway below veers left, Zobayan tries to stay with it. 716 00:35:40,438 --> 00:35:44,275 He puts the helicopter into a gradual left turn. 717 00:35:44,342 --> 00:35:46,744 He's not looking at the instruments at this point. 718 00:35:46,811 --> 00:35:49,647 He was perhaps looking down to search for the highway 719 00:35:49,714 --> 00:35:52,450 that he was following before. 720 00:35:52,517 --> 00:35:55,853 2 Echo X-ray, ident. 721 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,222 NARRATOR: Zobayan now faces a distraction 722 00:35:58,289 --> 00:36:01,092 that makes the situation significantly worse. 723 00:36:01,158 --> 00:36:02,260 Ident. 724 00:36:02,326 --> 00:36:03,528 NARRATOR: He is forced to identify 725 00:36:03,594 --> 00:36:05,496 himself to the controller. 726 00:36:05,563 --> 00:36:07,198 It's not only a distraction. 727 00:36:07,265 --> 00:36:10,568 It forces him to move his head, which increases 728 00:36:10,635 --> 00:36:14,272 the risk of disorientation. 729 00:36:14,338 --> 00:36:17,008 We advise pilots to not move their head 730 00:36:17,074 --> 00:36:19,210 around when they're flying without outward visual 731 00:36:19,277 --> 00:36:20,645 reference. 732 00:36:20,711 --> 00:36:23,214 This is moving the fluid in your inner ears. 733 00:36:23,281 --> 00:36:24,949 And this actually makes you a little bit 734 00:36:25,016 --> 00:36:27,251 more susceptible to illusions. 735 00:36:27,318 --> 00:36:29,954 The highway now veers off to the right, 736 00:36:30,021 --> 00:36:31,923 but he's lost sight of it. 737 00:36:31,989 --> 00:36:34,625 He's banking further and further to the left 738 00:36:34,692 --> 00:36:36,193 without even realizing it. 739 00:36:36,260 --> 00:36:38,629 30 seconds from impact. 740 00:36:38,696 --> 00:36:42,500 NARRATOR: Disorientation sets in. 741 00:36:42,567 --> 00:36:46,904 The turn is so gradual, and it is so slow, that the onset-- 742 00:36:46,971 --> 00:36:49,206 it seems that he's not feeling that. 743 00:36:49,273 --> 00:36:52,410 So for him, it still feels that he's flying level. 744 00:36:52,476 --> 00:36:55,379 And he gets to 1,600 feet, and he starts to descend 745 00:36:55,446 --> 00:36:57,281 without even knowing it. 746 00:36:57,348 --> 00:37:00,351 It's clear that prior to the accident, 747 00:37:00,418 --> 00:37:04,555 the pilot really did not know what the helicopter was doing, 748 00:37:04,622 --> 00:37:06,190 because he was asked his intentions, 749 00:37:06,257 --> 00:37:10,461 and he indicated that he was climbing to 4,000 feet. 750 00:37:10,528 --> 00:37:12,129 We're climbing to 4,000. 751 00:37:12,196 --> 00:37:13,598 2 Echo X-ray. 752 00:37:13,664 --> 00:37:16,100 MAN: At that point, the helicopter was not climbing. 753 00:37:16,167 --> 00:37:17,902 It was descending towards the crash, 754 00:37:17,969 --> 00:37:21,339 and the pilot didn't realize it. 755 00:37:21,405 --> 00:37:24,709 NARRATOR: He's now in a rapid descent and likely looking 756 00:37:24,775 --> 00:37:27,845 for clear skies above, not noticing what 757 00:37:27,912 --> 00:37:29,246 his instruments are showing. 758 00:37:29,313 --> 00:37:31,382 Without having outside visual references 759 00:37:31,449 --> 00:37:33,784 and not being focused on your instruments, 760 00:37:33,851 --> 00:37:35,753 it's very easy for that to happen. 761 00:37:35,820 --> 00:37:38,356 And it does happen far too often. 762 00:37:38,422 --> 00:37:41,525 He's so far over, it's like he lost all his lift. 763 00:37:41,592 --> 00:37:43,394 He's plummeting to the ground. 764 00:37:43,461 --> 00:37:46,130 Graveyard spiral-- classic. 765 00:37:46,197 --> 00:37:47,765 About a minute after entering the clouds, 766 00:37:47,832 --> 00:37:49,400 he hits the ground like this-- 767 00:37:49,467 --> 00:37:53,671 almost on his side at more than 160 knots. 768 00:37:53,738 --> 00:37:56,874 There's no sign he ever figured out what was really happening. 769 00:38:00,945 --> 00:38:03,614 NARRATOR: Kobe Bryant and eight others died as a result 770 00:38:03,681 --> 00:38:06,384 of an all-too-common scenario-- 771 00:38:06,450 --> 00:38:11,122 a helicopter pilot flying IMC and becoming disoriented. 772 00:38:13,658 --> 00:38:16,661 We need something to help pilots understand that just 773 00:38:16,727 --> 00:38:18,396 because you feel like your body is 774 00:38:18,462 --> 00:38:22,299 being pushed down in the seat doesn't mean you're climbing. 775 00:38:22,366 --> 00:38:25,002 NARRATOR: That device exists and is helping train 776 00:38:25,069 --> 00:38:27,238 pilots in the Netherlands. 777 00:38:27,304 --> 00:38:30,908 The one-of-a-kind simulator lets researchers reproduce 778 00:38:30,975 --> 00:38:34,045 the feeling of spatial disorientation without pilots 779 00:38:34,111 --> 00:38:35,980 having to leave the ground. 780 00:38:36,047 --> 00:38:37,348 All right, . 781 00:38:37,415 --> 00:38:39,717 OK, Martin, so how are you feeling now? 782 00:38:39,784 --> 00:38:41,085 I'm feeling pitched up. 783 00:38:41,152 --> 00:38:42,453 ANNEMARIE: You're feeling pitched up? 784 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:43,754 Yeah. 785 00:38:46,090 --> 00:38:49,026 NARRATOR: Investigators, hoping to prevent the kind of accident 786 00:38:49,093 --> 00:38:54,432 that caused Ara Zobayan to get so badly disoriented, 787 00:38:54,498 --> 00:38:57,168 are looking closely at the work being done in labs 788 00:38:57,234 --> 00:38:59,770 like this one at the Netherlands Organization 789 00:38:59,837 --> 00:39:04,208 for Applied Scientific Research, or TNO. 790 00:39:04,275 --> 00:39:07,611 We investigate the effects of spatial disorientation 791 00:39:07,678 --> 00:39:09,747 on pilot performance. 792 00:39:09,814 --> 00:39:12,583 NARRATOR: Zobayan believed he was climbing when he was 793 00:39:12,650 --> 00:39:15,453 actually descending and was unaware that he 794 00:39:15,519 --> 00:39:18,255 was in a steep left turn. 795 00:39:18,322 --> 00:39:22,259 He was suffering from two of the most common illusions affecting 796 00:39:22,326 --> 00:39:23,427 pilots-- 797 00:39:23,494 --> 00:39:25,362 somatogravic, involving his sense 798 00:39:25,429 --> 00:39:31,268 of pitch, and somatogyral, involving his sense of roll. 799 00:39:31,335 --> 00:39:35,172 Spatial disorientation is a factor in about 30% 800 00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:37,041 of fatal helicopter crashes. 801 00:39:39,210 --> 00:39:42,413 NARRATOR: This rotating chair helps pilots experience 802 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,081 the effect of the leans-- 803 00:39:44,148 --> 00:39:47,485 the inability to recognize that you are in a steep turn. 804 00:39:47,551 --> 00:39:50,354 When a pilot starts to turn, the fluid in the inner ear 805 00:39:50,421 --> 00:39:51,722 responds. 806 00:39:51,789 --> 00:39:53,324 And it's telling that he or she is in a turn. 807 00:39:53,390 --> 00:39:56,026 But after a while, the fluid sort of settles. 808 00:39:56,093 --> 00:39:59,163 So it actually feels as if they're flying level again. 809 00:39:59,230 --> 00:40:01,232 NARRATOR: This pilot is using his thumbs 810 00:40:01,298 --> 00:40:04,235 to show the direction he believes he's turning. 811 00:40:04,301 --> 00:40:06,437 For the first few seconds, he's right. 812 00:40:06,504 --> 00:40:09,273 But as the fluid in his ear settles, 813 00:40:09,340 --> 00:40:13,144 he no longer senses the turn. 814 00:40:13,210 --> 00:40:17,181 This is the identical illusion that Ara Zobayan experienced. 815 00:40:17,248 --> 00:40:19,683 It's why he never realized that he had entered 816 00:40:19,750 --> 00:40:23,020 a gradual left turn once he lost sight of the highway 817 00:40:23,087 --> 00:40:25,856 below, even though his instruments would have been 818 00:40:25,923 --> 00:40:27,591 telling him precisely that. 819 00:40:27,658 --> 00:40:30,594 We train them here to really trust their instruments 820 00:40:30,661 --> 00:40:33,864 and to really be focused on their instruments, 821 00:40:33,931 --> 00:40:37,802 especially in situations of low visibility. 822 00:40:37,868 --> 00:40:40,137 NARRATOR: But the heart of TNO's facility 823 00:40:40,204 --> 00:40:43,340 is this simulator called Desdemona. 824 00:40:43,407 --> 00:40:45,242 OK, so here's what's going to happen. 825 00:40:45,309 --> 00:40:47,344 You just have to wait for our mark. 826 00:40:47,411 --> 00:40:49,313 And then you just have to level the aircraft. 827 00:40:49,380 --> 00:40:51,282 But you have to do that with the instruments, 828 00:40:51,348 --> 00:40:54,285 so only based on your gut feeling. 829 00:40:54,351 --> 00:40:57,454 NARRATOR: It's a disorientation demonstrator which 830 00:40:57,521 --> 00:41:01,358 safely simulates the effects of pitch and roll illusions 831 00:41:01,425 --> 00:41:03,027 on pilots. 832 00:41:03,093 --> 00:41:05,062 It's the only one in the world. 833 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,001 ANNEMARIE (ON RADIO): OK, Martin, so first, you're just 834 00:41:11,068 --> 00:41:13,204 going to fly a little bit to get acquainted 835 00:41:13,270 --> 00:41:15,472 with the controls, all right? 836 00:41:15,539 --> 00:41:17,474 Yeah, so you have the instruments available. 837 00:41:17,541 --> 00:41:18,742 MAN: Yep. 838 00:41:18,809 --> 00:41:20,845 OK, let's start the simulation. 839 00:41:20,911 --> 00:41:23,914 NARRATOR: Unlike simulators that are attached to the ground, 840 00:41:23,981 --> 00:41:26,851 Desdemona can simulate unlimited degrees 841 00:41:26,917 --> 00:41:31,856 of pitch, yaw, and roll, as well as the forces of acceleration. 842 00:41:31,922 --> 00:41:34,325 It's really important to have a simulator that can really 843 00:41:34,391 --> 00:41:37,828 create a constant force or constant force 844 00:41:37,895 --> 00:41:39,797 that feels like acceleration. 845 00:41:39,864 --> 00:41:41,365 Continuing climb. 846 00:41:41,432 --> 00:41:42,800 Continuing climb. 847 00:41:42,867 --> 00:41:45,135 NARRATOR: Pilot Martin Kemna is about to experience 848 00:41:45,202 --> 00:41:50,641 the same sensation that Zobayan felt moments before the crash. 849 00:41:50,708 --> 00:41:53,878 The instruments in the simulator are turned off, 850 00:41:53,944 --> 00:41:57,214 so he must rely only on feel. 851 00:41:57,281 --> 00:41:59,016 Martin, how are you feeling now? 852 00:41:59,083 --> 00:42:00,517 I'm feeling straight and level. 853 00:42:00,584 --> 00:42:03,988 Let's ramp up the acceleration and see how that feels. 854 00:42:06,357 --> 00:42:08,192 Now we're starting the centrifuge, 855 00:42:08,259 --> 00:42:10,928 and the cabin of the simulator is pointing towards the center. 856 00:42:10,995 --> 00:42:14,932 So for Martin, it actually just feels like he's accelerating 857 00:42:14,999 --> 00:42:16,767 forwards. 858 00:42:16,834 --> 00:42:19,303 NARRATOR: The acceleration causes him to mistake 859 00:42:19,370 --> 00:42:22,806 what is actually happening. 860 00:42:22,873 --> 00:42:24,475 OK, Martin, what are you feeling now? 861 00:42:24,541 --> 00:42:26,610 MARTIN (ON RADIO): A bit pitched up. 862 00:42:26,677 --> 00:42:29,280 ANNEMARIE: And what do you think that the aircraft is doing now? 863 00:42:29,346 --> 00:42:31,081 MARTIN (ON RADIO): We're climbing now. 864 00:42:31,148 --> 00:42:32,917 If you're accelerating forwards, 865 00:42:32,983 --> 00:42:34,818 the little hairs in your inner ear 866 00:42:34,885 --> 00:42:38,389 will actually give a constant signal that is the same 867 00:42:38,455 --> 00:42:43,027 as if you're being pitched up. 868 00:42:43,093 --> 00:42:45,496 We're climbing to 4,000, 2 Echo X-ray. 869 00:42:45,562 --> 00:42:47,932 NARRATOR: It's the exact illusion that caused 870 00:42:47,998 --> 00:42:49,767 Ara Zobayan to believe he was still 871 00:42:49,833 --> 00:42:53,237 climbing when his helicopter was in a steep descent. 872 00:42:56,307 --> 00:42:58,142 So can you now bring the nose back to level? 873 00:42:58,208 --> 00:42:59,443 MARTIN (ON RADIO): Yeah, sure. 874 00:42:59,510 --> 00:43:00,844 So you can see that he's bringing 875 00:43:00,911 --> 00:43:02,212 the nose below the horizon. 876 00:43:02,279 --> 00:43:05,616 But for him, this actually feels level. 877 00:43:05,683 --> 00:43:08,919 So shall we show him the instruments? 878 00:43:08,986 --> 00:43:09,987 MARTIN (ON RADIO): Oh, my god. 879 00:43:10,054 --> 00:43:11,288 No, 20 degrees, nose down. 880 00:43:11,355 --> 00:43:12,089 OK. 881 00:43:12,156 --> 00:43:14,625 Can you recover? 882 00:43:14,692 --> 00:43:17,361 We hope that this helps them to recognize spatial 883 00:43:17,428 --> 00:43:19,129 disorientation when it occurs. 884 00:43:19,196 --> 00:43:20,864 Secondly, we also hope to teach them 885 00:43:20,931 --> 00:43:23,534 some skills that help them to manage spatial disorientation 886 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:24,468 if it occurs. 887 00:43:24,535 --> 00:43:25,269 Wow. 888 00:43:25,336 --> 00:43:28,205 That was-- it was crazy. 889 00:43:31,642 --> 00:43:34,845 I believe that as a tribute to the victims of this accident, 890 00:43:34,912 --> 00:43:38,215 the industry needs to realize how common and sinister 891 00:43:38,282 --> 00:43:43,387 these effects can be and develop better safety standards. 892 00:43:43,454 --> 00:43:46,256 NARRATOR: As a result of NTSB recommendations, 893 00:43:46,323 --> 00:43:48,258 the Federal Aviation Administration 894 00:43:48,325 --> 00:43:51,762 is evaluating tools like Desdemona that can be used 895 00:43:51,829 --> 00:43:55,199 to train more pilots how to recognize and cope 896 00:43:55,265 --> 00:43:57,601 with the effects of disorientation. 897 00:43:57,668 --> 00:43:59,370 The last thing the NTSB wants to do 898 00:43:59,436 --> 00:44:02,539 is go back and investigate this kind of accident 899 00:44:02,606 --> 00:44:04,108 all over again. 900 00:44:04,174 --> 00:44:07,711 And through the death of this person and people on board, 901 00:44:07,778 --> 00:44:11,148 hopefully this will be the one to help improve safety. 902 00:44:11,215 --> 00:44:13,083 Time will tell.