Was Kobe Bryant's pilot disoriented before crash? 'Spatial-D' is a big problem in aviation
LOS ANGELES - As investigators try to determine the cause of the chopper crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others last month, helicopter pilots and aviation experts are pointing to one likely scenario: spatial disorientation.
Spatial disorientation is a common reference in investigation reports of fatal air crashes. Also known as Spatial-D, it occurs when a pilot flying in low visibility due to clouds, fog or darkness cannot see a vertical horizon and their senses conflict with the reality of their position.
It was cited in the crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife and her sister as he piloted a plane at night over water off Martha's Vineyard in
