Ara Zobayan was reprimanded over incident in May 2015Other helicopter pilots divided over severity of penaltyNBA superstar and eight others died in crash last monthThe pilot of a helicopter that crashed into a southern
California hillside, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, was reprimanded five years ago for flying without permission into airspace while he had reduced visibility, according to a Federal Aviation Administration enforcement record.
Ara Zobayan was counseled by an FAA investigator after he violated FAA rules by crossing into busy airspace near
Los Angeles International Airport in May 2015, according to the record, which was first reported on Friday by the Los Angeles Times. The record doesn’t indicate whether Zobayan was carrying any passengers at the time.