LOS ANGELES - The pilot of the helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe Bryant and eight others was almost out of blinding clouds when he suddenly plunged and crashed into a Southern California hillside, investigators and aviation experts indicated. The helicopter was descending at 4,000 feet (1,219 metres) per minute and slammed into the hillside at more than 180 mph (290 kph). Zobayan was a regular pilot for Bryant and the chief pilot for Island Express Helicopters, with more than 8,200 hours of flight time. Deetz said Zobayan previously had told him that he did not have actual experience flying in clouds, despite being certified. __Associated Press Writers John Antczak and Justin Pritchard in Los Angeles, Bernard Condon in New York and David Koenig in Dallas and Business Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed.

Source: thestar February 07, 2020 19:44 UTC