Ara Zobayan, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed and tragically killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers in January, may have been disoriented by the fog.

The report by the National Transportation Safety Board said that Zobayan may have “misperceived” the angles at which he was descending and banking, which can happen when a pilot becomes disoriented in low visibility.

Via ESPN:

The pilot of the helicopter that crashed in thick fog, killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers, reported he was climbing when he actually was descending, federal investigators said in documents released Wednesday.

Ara Zobayan radioed to air traffic controllers that he was climbing to 4,000 feet to get above clouds on Jan. 26 when, in fact, the helicopter was plunging toward a hillside where it crashed northwest of Los Angeles.

Experts said shortly after the crash that the path of the flight indicated Zobayan was disoriented.

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The Lakers held a public memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant at Staples Center earlier this year. Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal all gave moving, powerful speeches.

Bryant was named a Hall of Famer this year, along with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. However, due to COVID-19, the enshrinement ceremony of the Lakers legend won't take place this year.

Kobe, the greatest player in Lakers franchise history, won five championships and two Finals MVPs with Los Angeles. He spent his entire career with the franchise and got not one, but two jerseys retired by the franchise.

The Purple and Gold retired Bryant's No. 8 and No. 24 jersey last season.