THE PILOT of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant was beloved by the aviation community and was said to be a “regular pilot” for Bryant and “especially attentive” to the basketball legend’s family.

Ara Zobayan, 50, was flying the chopper yesterday that crashed in Calabasas, California, leaving Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others dead.

5 Ara Zobayan, 50, was flying the helicopter that crashed in California yesterday

A friend of Zobayan’s described him online as a “pretty amazing” person who was “always so nice, talkative and especially attentive when it came to Kobe and his family.”

Another friend of his, Jared Yochim, wrote on Facebook Zobayan 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,” Yochim said.

“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.”

5 Zobayan was described as an 'incredible pilot' who was 'especially attentive' to Kobe Bryant's family

5 Kobe and his daughter Gianna, 13, both died in the crash Credit: Instagram / @kobebryant

He added: “As many of you mourn a celebrity, some of us mourn the loss of a great pilot and all around incredible guy. Simply heartbroken.”

Christina Pascucci, a licensed pilot who works for KTLA, tweeted: “He taught aspiring heli pilots to fly and was very much loved in the aviation community.”

Kobe Bryant dead: Flight path of NBA star's helicopter before fatal crash

“They wrote ‘rest easy as you take your final flight to heaven.’”

Zobayan flew the group out of John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9.06am local time on a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, headed for Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.

The group flew out in foggy conditions.

The chopper circled near Burbank Airport for 15 minutes around 9.15, as the pilot was waiting to land it, before it crashed around 9.45 into a hillside.

5 The crash site where Kobe Bryant and seven others lost their lives Credit: AP:Associated Press

Zobayan was an instrument-rated pilot, meaning he was trained to fly in fog or clouds, according to City News Service.

But it wasn’t immediately clear why the aircraft was flying at all, considering local police agencies grounded their own fleet because of the fog.

Audio between Zobayan and air traffic control reveals he was told he was flying too low.

In the moments before the crash, the helicopter climbed to 2000 feet before hitting the mountain at 1700 feet.

💔💔💔 dear friends of mine have lost their friend Ara Zobayan today who was a regular pilot for Kobe 😥😥 Posted by Laura Herzog on Sunday, January 26, 2020

Attempting to fly around mountains, such as those that surround LA, in fog has led to many helicopter crashes.

Records show that at this point, the helicopter, which had stayed below 1000 feet for most of the trip, began to ascend as it approached the Santa Monica Mountains.

The S-76 helicopter was built in 1991 and had no prior accidents, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the National Transportation Safety Board.

It was registered with and operated by Island Express Holdings and Island Express Helicopters, which runs a fleet of helicopters that fly the 15-minute tourist route between San Pedro and Santa Catalina Island.

The company has been linked with two fatal crashes — including one in 2008, where a Eurocopter AS 350 helicopter filled with sightseers crashed, killing three people and injuring three others.

Federal officials concluded that a turbine blade fatigue fracture was the probable cause of the accident.

Back in 1985, a helicopter operated by Island Express collided with another helicopter from San Pedro after picking up passengers in Avalon, Catalina’s largest town. One person was killed and 11 people were injured.

A detailed analysis of the flight path by New York Magazine, shows the pilot attempting to negotiate hilly ground while flying visually.

5

“When you get in the soup, your senses don’t work," said Paul Cline, assistant professor of aviation at New York University.

The helicopter plunged into a rugged hillside Sunday with an impact that scattered debris over an area the size of a football field and killed everyone aboard.

Audio between the pilot and air traffic control obtained by The Sun reveal that air traffic controllers were attempting to guide the helicopter, but lost contact moments before its fatal crash.

Bryant, the legendary NBA star who was 41 years old, was known to keep a helicopter at the airport where he took off yesterday.

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He, along with eight others, all died in the crash.

It was noted the terrain in the area of the crash is so treacherous that it will take officials a week before recovery efforts are complete.

An investigation is currently underway and is being spearheaded by the LA County Sheriff's Office and the National Safety and Transportation Board.

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