Pilot in Kobe Bryant crash likely had 'spatial disorientation'; NTSB calls for training, recording

A year after NBA star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash, the NTSB decided Tuesday the cause was poor decisions by the pilot.

THE JUST-RELEASED FINDINGS COMEA YEAR.....AFTER THE HELICOPTER CRASH THATLEFT....BRYANT.... HIS DAUGHTER...AND...-7- OTHERS... ALL DEAD...13 ACTION NEWS ANCHOR...ROSS DI- MATTEI JOINS US LIVEWITH THE N-T-S-B REPORT.MANY HAD QUESTIONED WHO OR WHATWAS AT FAULT IN THIS TRAGEDYFROM JANUARY 20-20 -- BUT TODAYOFFICIALS FINALLY GAVE US MORECLARITY.OFFICIALS EXPLAINING PILOT ARAZOBAYAN VIOLATED FEDERAL SAFETYSTANDARDS AND DIDN'T FOLLOW HISTRAINING.THEY SAID AN ACCIDENTS ISSOMETHING "UNFORESEEN ANDUNPREDICTABLE" -- BUT SAY THISDIDN'T FALL IN THOSECATEGORIES.THE INVESTIGATION FOUNDTHAT AS THE PILOT CLIMBED INTOTHE THICK FOG -- HE COULD NOLONGER SEE WHERE HE WAS GOINGAND BECAME SPACIALLYDISORIENTED."THE PILOT COMMUNICATED WITHAIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ON NUMEROUSOCCASIONS, BUT DID NOT DECLAREAN EMERGENCY.FINDINGS -- SOME LAWMAKERS AREAGAINCALLING FOR NEW SAFETYREGULATIONS...REQUIRING THAT ALL HELICOPTERSBE EQUIPPED WITH FLIGHTRECORDERS AND SYSTEMS THATWOULD WARN PILOTS IF THEY'RE INDANGER OF CRASHING.WE SPOKE WITH AVIATION ANALYSTJOHN NANCE LAST MONTH ABOUTHAVING A BLACK BOX INSIDEHELICOPTERS."IT'S VERY HARD FOR ANYONE,NTSB INCLUDED, TO COME UP WITHA CONCLUSION WHEN YOU DON'THAVE THE ABILITY TO MEASURE THEPHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF THEPILOTS.IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT INCOMMERCIAL COCKPITS WEDESPERATELY NEED CAMERAS.THOSE HAVE BEEN FOUGHT BY ALPHAFOR YEARS, THE AIRLINES PILOTSASSOCIATION.BUT HERE IN A HELICOPTER WEPROBABLY WILL NEVER HAVE THATTYPE OF THING, BUT WE REALLYCOULD USE IT."INVESTIGATORS ALSO POINTING OUT- THAT AS WEATHER CONDITIONSAND VISIBILITY WORSENED --ZOBAYAN COULD HAVE MADE ANEMERGENCY LANDING AT A NEARBYAIRPORT BUT INSTEAD POSSIBLYFELT WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS A"SELF- INDUCED PRESSURE" TOKEEP FLYING AS TO NOTDISAPPOINT HIS HIGH-PROFILECLIENT.ROSS DI-MATTEI, 13 ACTION NEWS.THE HISTORIC SECOND IMPEACHMENTTRIAL...OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD