
Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was given a special clearance to fly under foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers.

Audio captured by LiveATC.net reveals that the pilot, who has been named as Ara Zobayan, requested to fly under special visual flight rules (SVFR).

'Maintain special VFR at or below 2,500,' the pilot is heard confirming to the controller.

The conversation between the pilot and the Burbank Airport control tower shed some light on why the aircraft, which was carrying Bryant, his daughter Gianna, 13, and six others, was granted clearance in the first place.

Under an SVFR clearance, pilots are allowed to fly in weather conditions worse than those allowed for visual flight rules (VFR). Special VFR clearances are only issued when cloud ceilings are below 1,000 feet above ground level. Flying that low to the ground can be very disorienting and risky, and it's possible that the pilot became disoriented due to the visibility conditions when the helicopter appeared to veer off its path above US Route 101.

Bryant's helicopter left Santa Ana in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, shortly after 9am on Sunday, a time when conditions were not suitable for flying, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

There was an overcast at 1,300 feet and visibility of about five miles. The pilot was initially flying under VFR, meaning that he was relying on his ability to see the terrain below him. That changed when he was granted the SVFR.

Around 9.20am, the helicopter circled for about 15 minutes just east of Interstate 5, near Glendale. Air traffic controllers held up the helicopter for other aircraft for about 11 minutes, before clearing the Sikorsky S-76 to proceed north along Interstate 5 through Burbank's airspace.

Air traffic controllers noted poor visibility around Burbank, just to the north, and Van Nuys, to the northwest. Due to the poor visibility, the pilot could have contacted air traffic controllers and requested to switch to instrument flight rules (IFR), which would have allowed him to navigate through the clouds.

However, when pilots fly under IFR, it can take up a lot of time, especially in Southern California, which has an extremely busy airspace. Pilots flying under IFR will have to begin 20 miles or more away from the runway and are required to use special instructions in the form of diagrams called approach plates in order to land.

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Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was given clearance to fly under foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers

Paul Cline, an assistant professor of aviation at the City University of New York, told New York Magazine that flying under IFR could mean you could be in a holding pattern for 'an hour'.

'You’re just one of many waiting in line, and it doesn’t matter if you’re Kobe Bryant,' Cline added. 'A ton of rules come into play, and people don’t always want to fly that way [under IFR]. It takes away their ability to do whatever they want to do,' Cline said. 'The trade-off is you get to live.'

The aircraft continued under VFR and around 9.40am it turned west to follow US Route 101, the Ventura Highway. At about 9.44am, the helicopter turned again, toward the southeast, and climbed to more than 2,000 feet, in what appeared to be an attempt to put some space between the helicopter and the high terrain.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IFR AND VFR FLYING Under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) pilots must always be able to see things out of their windows, which includes the ground, other aircraft and obstacles. Pilots flying under VFR must fly on the outside of clouds and are prohibited from flying into clouds. Flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) is extremely more challenging than VFR flying. Unlike VFR, pilots are allowed to fly into clouds where there is zero visibility. One of the most illustrative differences between the two set of flight rules is the landing procedures. Under VFR, pilots will fly toward the runway at an angle before executing a rectangular pattern near the runway and heading down for the landing. Under IFR, pilots will have to begin 20 miles or more away from the runway and are required to use special instructions in the form of diagrams called approach plates. The approach plates tell pilots where an aircraft will need to change its direction, what altitude it should be flying at, all while having zero visibility. IFR pilots will usually only be able to see out of their windows toward the end of the instrument approach, which is when they will be able to see the runway. Advertisement

In air traffic control audio which was recorded shortly before the crash, the pilot of the former Lakers star's helicopter is told by a controller that 'you're still too low level' to be tracked by radar.

This did not appear to be a sign of distress, because the helicopter was actually ascending at the time and the controller was referring to the technical difficulty with reading data rather than warning of an imminent crash.

Justin Green, an aviation attorney in New York who flew helicopters in the Marine Corps, said pilots can become disoriented in low visibility, losing track of which direction is up.

Green said a pilot flying an S-76 would be instrument-rated, meaning that person could fly the helicopter without relying on visual cues from outside.

Helicopter pilot Phillipe Lesourd told The Sun after listening to the audio that other aircraft appeared to be having problems which was 'not a good sign'.

'When you ask for a special VFR [visual flight rules], which they did, only one aircraft is allowed in the airspace,' he said.

'You can hear the controller saying that it had an "ad go around," that means an aircraft already cancelled its landing because of low visibility.'

It then descended and crashed into the hillside at about 1,400 feet, according to data from Flightradar24.

When it struck the ground, the helicopter was flying at about 184mph and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute, the data showed.

The chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bryant's chopper was only 17 miles from the Mamba Sports Academy when the crash occurred.

There was only one pilot on board, which an aviation source said it was unusual for the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter Kobe was in.

It's unclear where the pilot was going to land in Thousand Oaks, but the nearest helipad to the 100,000-square-foot facility is at Amgen headquarters which is a little over six miles away from Mamba Sports Academy.

Bryant's sports academy in Thousand Oaks was holding a basketball tournament on Sunday.

When the helicopter plunged into a steep hillside on Sunday, its impact scattered debris over an area the size of a football field and killed all aboard.

Among those killed in the crash were John Altobelli, 56, longtime head coach of Southern California's Orange Coast College baseball team; his wife, Keri; and daughter, Alyssa, who played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter, said Altobelli's brother, Tony, who is the sports information director at the school.

The 41-year-old Bryant, who perished with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was one of the game's most popular players and the face of the 16-time NBA champion Lakers

The site of a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, 13, the pilot and six other passengers on Sunday

When the helicopter plunged into a steep hillside on Sunday, its impact scattered debris over an area the size of a football field and killed all aboard

Another young player, Payton Chester, was also killed in the crash along with her mother Sarah Chester.

Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley tweeted that the dead also included Christina Mauser, a girls basketball coach at a nearby private elementary school.

Her husband, Matt Mauser, founded the Tijuana Dogs, a popular Orange County band. In a Facebook post he said: 'My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash.'

The Los Angeles County medical examiner, Dr Jonathan Lucas, said the rugged terrain complicated efforts to recover the remains. He estimated it would take at least a couple of days to complete that task before identifications can be made.

The accident unleashed an outpouring of grief from admirers around the world who mourned the sudden loss of the all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Thousands of fans, many wearing Bryant jerseys and chanting his name, gathered outside the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, home of the Lakers and site of Sunday's Grammy Awards where Bryant was honored.

The 41-year-old Bryant was one of the game's most popular players and the face of the 16-time NBA champion Lakers.

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but conditions at the time were such that the Los Angeles Police Department and the county sheriff's department grounded their helicopters.

The pilot was identified as Ara Zobayan (left). He was killed in the crash alongside Christina Mauser (right, with her husband, Matt), a girls basketball coach at a nearby private elementary school

Among those killed in the crash were John Altobelli (left), 56, longtime head coach of Southern California's Orange Coast College baseball team; his wife, Keri (left, with John); and daughter, Alyssa (right), who played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter, said Altobelli's brother, Tony, who is the sports information director at the school

Another young player, Payton Chester (left), was also killed in the crash along with her mother Sarah Chester (right)

Pilot of Kobe Bryant's helicopter was qualified to fly in fog and friends say he was 'not one to make mistakes' Ara Zobayan, 50, was a licensed commercial helicopter pilot of 12 years, certified flight instructor of two years and a ground instructor of 11 years. Zobayan was friends with actor turned pilot Lorenzo Lamas (pictured together in 2013), appearing with him on an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap along with Andy Dick By Cheyenne Roundtree For DailyMail.com Ara Zobayan, the pilot of Kobe Bryant's helicopter, was qualified to fly in fog, as friends of the beloved instructor said he was 'not one to make mistakes' and was always 'attentive' to the NBA legend and his family. Zobayan was flying the helicopter carrying Bryant, the star's daughter Gianna, 13, and six others when the Sikorsky S-76 crashed in Calabasas, California and caught fire, killing everyone on board on Sunday morning. He was told he was 'too low' as he flew through thick fog and was unable to get clearance to land at Burbank Airport because the weather conditions were too poor, according to reports. Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter crashed. The 50-year-old was a licensed commercial helicopter pilot of 12 years, certified flight instructor of two years and a ground instructor of 11 years, according to federal aviation records. He was also instrument rated, which means he was qualified to fly in fog. Tributes to Zobayan, of Huntington Beach, California, poured in on Sunday, as friends and colleagues said he was 'nice, talkative and especially attentive when it came to Kobe and his family'. Zobayan's friend Jared Yochim wrote: '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. ' He added: 'He was as good as they came and not one to make mistakes.' Although it's not clear when Zobayan started flying Bryant, the Lakers star said in a resurfaced interview that he began taking helicopters because traffic in Los Angeles was so bad it was causing him to miss family activities. Bryant said in the 2018 interview with Alex Rodriguez and Big Cat: 'I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time.' Advertisement

Federal transportation safety investigators will look at the pilot's history, the chopper's maintenance records and the records of its owner and operator, said National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) board member Jennifer Homendy at a news conference.

Kurt Deetz, a pilot who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said the crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues.

'The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn't happen,' he told the Los Angeles Times.

Investigators say the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter had a black box which they will seek to recover.

Deetz described the helicopter as being like a 'limousine' that was in 'fantastic' condition and subject to a 'very good maintenance program'.

He said that pilots need at least a couple thousand hours flying in a twin engine to be ready to fly the complex helicopter.

Kurt Deetz, a pilot who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said the crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues. This image shows the control system inside the aircraft

Deetz described the helicopter (interior pictured) as being like a 'limousine' that was in 'fantastic' condition and subject to a 'very good maintenance program'

Zobayan, who was flying Bryant's chopper (pictured), was 'especially attentive when it came to Kobe and his family', according to his family members and friends

'There aren’t a lot of people readily qualified to fly it,' he said.

The NTSB typically issues a preliminary report within about 10 days that will give a rough summary of what investigators have learned. A ruling on the cause can take a year or more.

Colin Storm was in his living room in Calabasas when he heard what sounded to him like a low-flying airplane or helicopter.

'It was very foggy so we couldn't see anything,' he said. 'But then we heard some sputtering and then a boom.'

The fog cleared a bit, and Storm could see smoke rising from the hillside in front of his home.

Firefighters hiked in with medical equipment and hoses, and medical personnel rappelled to the site from a helicopter, but found no survivors, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.

The aircraft was built in 1991 and owned by Island Express Holding Corp, which is based in Fillmore, California. According to the website Helis.com, it was previously owned by the state of Illinois.

Shortly after the crash, a heartbreaking video of Bryant lovingly explaining the game of basketball to his daughter, Gianna, resurfaced.

On Monday, a video of Bryant explaining why he often flew in his private helicopter resurfaced. 'Traffic started getting really, really bad. And I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing a school play because I was sitting in traffic. I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time,' Bryant (pictured with family) said

'You have road trips and times where you don't see your kids so every chance I get to see them and spend time with them... I want that,' Bryant said in the interview. Bryant is seen with his wife, Vanessa, and three of their children

Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific shot-maker with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic

Shortly after the crash, a heartbreaking video of Bryant lovingly explaining the game of basketball to his daughter, Gianna, resurfaced. The basketball great and 13-year-old Gianna are seen in a video from December 21, 2019, when they attended a game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets

The basketball great and Gianna are seen in a video from December 21, 2019, when they attended a game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets.

Bryant appears to be teaching Gianna a thing or two about the game while sitting courtside at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Gianna, who was a rising star herself in basketball, seemed in agreement with her dad about putting pressure on opponents while playing defense.

Another clip showed Gianna showing off her skills in an impressive performance while wearing a dress and high heels on the court.

On Monday, a video of Bryant explaining why he often flew in his private helicopter resurfaced.

'Traffic started getting really, really bad. And I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing a school play because I was sitting in traffic. I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time,' Bryant explained.

'So that's when I looked into helicopters and being able to get down and back in 15 minutes and so my routine was always the same. Weights early in the morning, kids to school, fly down, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media, fly back, get back in carpool line and pick the kids up.

'You have road trips and times where you don't see your kids so every chance I get to see them and spend time with them... I want that.'

Another clip showed Gianna showing off her skills in an impressive performance while wearing a dress and high heels on the court

News of the charismatic superstar's death rocketed around the sports and entertainment worlds, with many taking to Twitter to register their shock, disbelief and anguish.

'Words can't describe the pain I am feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me,' retired NBA great Michael Jordan said. 'We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force.'

Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific shot-maker with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic.

He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night, when the Lakers' LeBron James passed him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown.

James wept on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday after the Lakers learned on a flight home that their former teammate had died.

The NBA kept its games on as scheduled when the news broke, but the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors both took voluntary 24-second shot clock violations at the start of their game in honor of Bryant, who wore No. 24 for the second half of his career.

During the Grammy Awards, Lizzo said 'tonight is for Kobe!' after host Alicia Keys paid tribute, telling those gathered for the ceremony: 'We're literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built.'

His longtime Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal wrote on Twitter: 'There's no words to express the pain I'm going through now with this tragic and sad moment of loosing my friend, my brother, my partner in winning championships, my dude and my homie.

'I love you brother and you will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW!'

Fans place flowers, candles and memorabilia during a vigil held for Bryant outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on Monday

The NBA legend is being mourned by fans from all over the world. Fans are seen at a vigil at the LA Live entertainment complex across the street from the Staples Center on Sunday

The NBA kept its games on as scheduled when the news broke. LA Clippers coaches Jeremy Castleberry and Tyronn Lue react in remembrance of Bryant during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Sunday

Houston Rockets center Tyson Chandler, guard Austin Rivers and forward P.J. Tucker react during a tribute to Bryant before a game against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday

Bryant teamed with Shaquille O'Neal in a combustible partnership to lead the Lakers to consecutive NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan, to whom Bryant was often compared, expressed similar sentiments.

'Words can't describe the pain I am feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me,' Jordan said in a statement. 'We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force.'

Former Lakers star Magic Johnson tweeted: 'Laker Nation, the game of basketball and our city, will never be the same without Kobe.'

Mayor Eric Garcetti requested that all flags in Los Angeles be lowered to half-staff in honor of Bryant and all of the victims who died in the crash.

‘Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired, amazed, and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father, husband, creative genius, and ambassador for the game he loved,’ Garcetti said in a statement on Facebook.

‘He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes. This is a moment that leaves us struggling to find words that express the magnitude of shock and sorrow we are all feeling right now, and I am keeping Kobe’s entire family in my prayers at this time of unimaginable grief.’

Bryant was the league MVP in 2008 and a two-time NBA scoring champion, and he earned 12 selections to the NBA's All-Defensive teams.

He went on to win two more titles in 2009 and 2010, and retired in 2016.

Kobe and Gianna are survived by his wife Vanessa and their three other daughters - Natalia, Bianka and Capri, who was born last summer.