Basketball star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people were killed on their way to a youth basketball game after their helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, last month.

Since then, people have been trying to figure out what went wrong, especially because the helicopter was described by its former pilot as having “the feel of a limousine and boasted a strong safety record”.

An investigation into the cause of the crash revealed no mechanical or engine trouble, but Bryant’s widow, Vanessa (below), still suspects negligence was involved.

According to Forbes, she filed a lawsuit against Island Express, the operator of the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that was involved in the accident. The lawsuit claims that the company is liable for the “reckless actions of the pilot”, Ara Zobayan, who was also killed in the crash.

The lawsuit claims Zobayan was negligent because he failed to properly monitor the weather before takeoff, decided to fly through foggy conditions in low visibility rather than end the flight and did not avoid obstacles in the flight path.

Zobayan did get special approval from air traffic control at Burbank Airport to fly, but at the end of the day, it was up to him to make the final decision.

The lawsuit was filed the same day as a public memorial service for Bryant and his daughter at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where he played for the Lakers during his entire 20-year career.

The memorial service was live-streamed on YouTube:

The lawsuit is seeking “unspecified monetary damages”.

Island Express has removed their contact details from their website and suspended all operations for the time being.

[source:forbes]