Vanessa Bryant Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Helicopter Company
Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday against the owner of the helicopter that crashed last month in heavy fog, killing husband Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and seven others.
The lawsuit alleges Island Express Helicopters was only certified to fly under visual flight rules, meaning with adequate visibility, and that foggy conditions the day of the tragedy should have grounded the chopper before it slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, Calif.
“On information and belief, the pilot in command, Ara George Zobayan, was required to fly only in conditions that he could navigate visually,” the 72-page complaint obtained by the Daily News states.
The day of the tragedy, 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," the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court states.
“Zobayan attempted to maneuver the helicopter up and forward to clear the clouds, then entered a turn sending the helicopter into the steep terrain at approximately 180 mph,” the lawsuit claims.
Attempts to reach Island Express were not immediately successful Monday.
“Defendant Island Express is vicariously liable for any and all actions of Ara George Zobayan, including his negligent and careless piloting and operation of the subject helicopter,” the lawsuit states.
In his last radio transmission before the twin-engine craft crashed and burst into flames, Zobayan reported a plan to ascend to avoid a “cloud layer," officials said.
The chopper then climbed to 2,300 feet — rising more than 750 feet in about 30 seconds — and began a descending left turn at high speed, officials said.
“We know this was a high-energy impact crash, and the helicopter was in a descending left bank,” NTSB member Jennifer Homendy said shortly after the crash. “This is a pretty steep descent at high speed, so it wouldn’t be a normal landing speed.”
The group in the helicopter left Orange County’s John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m. California time that day enroute to a youth tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.
The helicopter hit the hillside around 9:45 a.m., officials said.
Nearby residents told The News they heard the loud boom and saw the fire that erupted amid foggy conditions.
Investigators said videos and photos taken by witnesses in the area showed fog and low clouds “obscuring the hilltops.”
A witness who was on a nearby bike path gave a harrowing account of the helicopter blasting through the clouds at high speed and exploding in front of him.
“The witness stated that the area was surrounded by mist. He said he began to hear the sound of a helicopter, which he described as appropriate for a helicopter flying while in a powered condition,” the NTSB’s preliminary report said.
“He perceived the sound getting louder and saw a blue and white helicopter emerge from the clouds passing from left to right directly to his left. He judged it to be moving fast, travelling on a forward and descending trajectory,” the report said.
“It started to roll to the left such that he caught a glimpse of its belly. He observed it for 1 to 2 seconds, before it impacted terrain about 50 feet below his position,” the report said.
Gianna’s two teammates lost in the crash were Payton Chester, 13, and Alyssa Altobelli, 14.
Also killed were Alyssa’s parents John Altobelli, a 56-year-old college baseball coach, and Keri Altobelli, 46; Mamba basketball coach Christina Mauser, 38, a married mother of three; Payton’s mom Sara Chester, 45; and Zobayan, 50.
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