It was a no fly day for us and pretty much all operators, the employee said. The report was all about his flying below visual flight instructions, stating that he was required to be capable to realize where he was going, but piloted via clouds and became unsettled, leading to the crash. This browser does not support getting your location. Despite not being famous like the hoops great, Zobayan, 50, was no different than Kobe in that he was a put-a-smile-on-your-face kind of guy, Clark insisted. When her husband died in a 2014 accident, she said Zobayan was at the memorial. Daughter becomes living donor for mother with kidney disease, Colombia plans to send 70 'cocaine hippos' to India and Mexico, How Paul Murdaugh helped solve his own murder, eight deputies took and shared photos of the aftermath from the January 26 crash. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. He also had s suitable body weight of around 73 kg or 160 lbs. Ara Zobayan, to Kobe, was "Mr. Sorry! Among them was 50-year-old Huntington Beach resident Ara Zobayan, the pilot of the aircraft who had a clean safety record and was attempting to travel through adverse conditions. After almost 6 months after the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board brought out the information about the same incident. 'Nobody really knows Ara, but a lot of people in this world missed out. At that time, other people were also present there except for them and they were Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant. Lowry pointed to a post on Facebook, where she had posted a tribute to her friend. I love all Armenians!, a Facebook user named Maria Daikovich wrote under the post. He always gave you his undivided attention.. Catalina Island." ", RELATED: Kobe Bryant crash: Sheriff says 8 deputies involved in taking unauthorized photos of scene. ). Hes a dear friend and family.. Weve updated the security on the site. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 3 years ago - via TMZ Staff @ TMZ.com. He is always looking for good Asian food, which there are thankfully plenty of in OC. View more / View less Facts of Ara Zobayan. Other than a piece of jewelry that says they're married, they were everything that a married couple is. It's hitting them and the whole family hard. Hes not a guy to push limits. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. At the time of the terrible accident, he was the Pilot working for the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter. Likewise, he was an American citizen and was of Caucasian ethnicity. 0 cemeteries found in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA. The pilot was of Armenian descent, according to The Armenian Report, a Facebook page for English-language news in that community, and news of his death brought an outpouring from across Los Angeles. A spokesperson said that its members were "heartbroken for the loss of our friend and pilot Ara Zobayan.". 'If you're flying visually, if you get caught in a situation where you can't see out the windshield, the life expectancy of the pilot and the aircraft is maybe 10, 15 seconds,' Waldman said. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. In the February 24, 2020 lawsuit, the widow of. Ara Zobayan the NBA legends regular pilot and among the nine who died when he crashed Sunday was devoted to girlfriend Tess Davidson, 47, and every bit an adoptive father to her two sons, close friend Jesse Clark told DailyMail.com. "After that experience, he became laser-focused on becoming a helicopter pilot," Street said.In September, soap opera actor and pilot Lorenza Lamas posted a picture with a helicopter bearing the same N-number, or a registration number given to aircraft, as the one that crashed Sunday with the caption, "Sun setting on another glorious day. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Flying was his life's passion.". The National Transportation Safety Board said Ara Zobayan flew the helicopter into clouds and became disoriented before crashing into a hill near Calabasas in California in January 2020. The National Transportation Safety Board primarily blamed pilot Ara Zobayan in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash that killed him along with Bryant, the basketball star's daughter and six other passengers heading to a girls basketball tournament. Other than a piece of jewelry that says they're married, they were everything that a married couple is.' Thats the saddest part, Clark said of the pilot who crashed in heavy fog in Calabasas. Anybody that Ara touched in their life, I guarantee that they are suffering too. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Try again. Got a tip? Ara was not only a mentor to Brian, he was his good friend, Smith said. Stine Edits Book Series, Changes Mental Health, Weight & Ethnicity References, Spirit Awards: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Takes Best Feature, 6 Other Trophies; 'The Bear', Quinta Brunson Tops In TV - Full Winners List. The owners said they were heartbroken over Zobayan's death.Born in Lebanon in 1970, a teenage Zobayan by chance sat next to a helicopter mechanic on the flight taking him to the United States.The mechanic lent Zobayan a helicopter magazine, which the youth devoured for the remainder of the flight, said Chuck Street, executive director of the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Operators Association.When he had saved enough money, he took that fateful helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. 'He was an amazing guy. God bless all who lost their lives.. Ara Zobayan was a flight instructor with over 20 years of experience flying in Southern California. 'I'm still waiting for the closure on that part. After learning to fly, Zobayan worked at Group 3 as a flight instructor. As his instructor, Kemp and Zobayan had been closethe student recalled how his teacher had helped him through a difficult divorce. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Family members linked to this person will appear here. "Safety is our top priority; if there are any actionable findings from the investigation, we will inform our S-76 customers. "He had taken a sightseeing tour flight at the Grand Canyon and knew immediately he wanted to become a pilot," Peter and Claudia Lowry of Group 3 Aviation wrote on Facebook. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. After completing his pilot training at an academy, he started working for several celebrities in Los Angeles. Pilot Ara Zobayan was identified as among the nine who died in the helicopter crash Sunday. Zobayan was the chief pilot for the charter service and had more than 8,200 hours of flight time. Helicopter owners Island Express Helicopters and the estate of pilot Ara Zobayan, who perished himself in the crash, were named as defendants. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Thanks for contacting us. The Go Team went on to examine the area where the incident took place for the flight recorder. Adam Alexander, a fellow pilot and often passenger of Zobayan, said though they hadnt flown together for awhile, the two stayed in touch. "In early February the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released an "investigative update" on the crash. As for the body measurements of the American pilot, Ara was 5 feet 10 inches or 178 cm tall. Zobayan received his first private pilot license with a helicopter rating on January 21, 2001, and his commercial pilot license on December 3, 2007. . Failed to delete memorial. Try again later. National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said Monday that Zobayan, 50, had a commercial certificate and was a certified flight instructor who had 8,200 hours of flight time as of July. 'We're still mourning. Always made you feel important, said Bray, who owns a restaurant in Avalon on Catalina Island. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Monday morning that the fog had grounded all of their aircraft, and an employee at a helicopter charter service that does business in the area told The Daily Beast that they had also suspended service. Bryant initiated the damning lawsuit against department, Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and the county in September of last year. Ara Zobayan, 50, was the pilot of a private helicopter which slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, California on the morning of January 26, 2020, killing all on board.The helicopter carrying eight passengers, including NBA great Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, crashed within seconds of being heard overhead by locals. In a legal filing, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the 6 passengers who died in that January helicopter crash are now being blamed for their own deaths. 'Tess will never be over it. When Bryant was going to award ceremonies, he would invite Zobayan to the venues, she said. According to Gregor at the FAA, he added an instrument rating to his private pilot license on October 20, 2007. Flying was his lifes passion.. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? After getting married, he went on to live in Los Angeles and begin a fresh life there. He was born in Korea but grew up in Southern California, bouncing from Van Nuys to Pomona to Westwood, where he attended UCLA. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Pictured: Davidson and her two sons from a previous relationship, Zobayan died in the helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California, along with Kobe Bryant, Kobe's daughter Gianna and six other passengers. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Sharing an Armenian descent, Bray and Zobayan connected over their love of the food, Bray said. The pilot who died in a helicopter crash along with Kobe Bryant and seven others leaves behind a girlfriend of 11 years and her two children who he treated like his own, a close friend has revealed to DailyMail.com. I couldnt stop crying, she said. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Likewise, he was an American citizen and was of Caucasian ethnicity. He also does not have a Facebook account and is never active on any of the social media platforms. Those who flew with Ara Zobayan, believed to be, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Those who flew with Ara Zobayan, believed to be the pilot in Kobe Bryant crash, recall him as a skilled pilot with passion for flying, LA County reaches $28.85 million settlement with Kobe Bryants family. Drag images here or select from your computer for Ara George Zobayan memorial. PILOT Ara Zobayan was one of nine people who tragically died in the helicopter crash, killing everyone on board - including Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.