Vanessa Bryant urges US Congress to pass the Kobe and Gianna Helicopter Safety Act

On Thursday, the Democratic lawmakers introduced the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Helicopter Safety Act bill. As per reports, Vanessa Bryant is urging the US Congress to pass the Helicopter Safety bill as soon as they can. The investigation for Kobe Bryant's crash, which took place on January 26, is still ongoing.

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Helicopter Safety Bill: Vanessa Bryant asks Congress to pass the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Helicopter Safety Act bill

According to the Helicopter Safety Bill introduced by the Democratic lawmakers, helicopters carrying six or more passengers would be forced to include extra safety features. The extra safety features include a Terrain Awareness and Warning System, a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder. The Helicopter Safety Bill was originally introduced in January. However, Vanessa got in touch with the Congress, urging them to pass the Helicopter Safety Bill in Bryant and Gianna's honour. 

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In her statement, Vanessa urges the United States Congress to 'pass a federal law that would improve the safety of helicopters operating' in the USA. She further added that there would be a change that Bryant and Gianna would have been still been alive if their 'helicopter had been equipped with the safety equipment required by this pending federal legislation'. Vanessa further explained that having their names 'associated with this federal law that has the potential to save countless lives would be a fitting tribute to their memory'.

Also read | Kobe Bryant pilot disoriented in fog before Kobe Bryant crash report: Kobe Bryant crash report and details

This Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, might have been disoriented due to the surrounding fog on the day of the crash. Prior reports have stated that there were no alcohol or drugs in Zobayan's system. Vanessa Bryant has previously sued the Los Angeles County's Sheriff's Department for sharing photos taken right after the crash. She has also sued Island Express Helicopters, the company which owned Bryant's helicopter, under a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit will probably continue for months as the investigation is expected to continue for over a year. 

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Ara Zobayan was "disoriented" due to the fog

According to a report by the Associated Press, Ara Zobayan 'misperceived' the flight trajectory which led to their crash. The heavy fog is reported to have disoriented Zobayan, causing him to believe they were climbing when the helicopter was actually descending. The report stated that Zobayan contacted the air traffic controllers minutes before the crash, stating that the Sikorsky S-76 was climbing to 4,000 feet so they could evade the clouds. The AP report further explained that the “calculated apparent angles at this time show that the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles".

(Image source: AP)