File:N76ILL S-76 State of Illinois.jpg The Sikorsky S-76B aircraft prior to being transferred to Island Express Holdings | |
Accident | |
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Date | January 26, 2020 |
Summary | Crashed in heavy fog; under investigation |
Site | Calabasas, California 34°08′12″N 118°41′32″W / 34.1368°N 118.6923°W |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Sikorsky S-76B |
Operator | Island Express Holdings Inc. |
Registration | N72EX |
Flight origin | John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California |
Destination | Camarillo Airport, Camarillo, California |
Occupants | 9 |
Passengers | 8 |
Crew | 1 |
Fatalities | 9 |
Survivors | 0 |
On January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, around 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, en route to Camarillo, California. It was carrying former basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, six family friends including baseball coach John Altobelli and his wife and daughter, and the pilot. All on board were killed.[1][2]
The helicopter was en route to Bryant's basketball academy when it crashed. It was given approval to fly in foggy weather.[3] Bryant frequently used the helicopter to avoid Los Angeles traffic.[4] It was previously owned by the state of Illinois who used the helicopter to transport governors and other officials.[5]
On January 26, 2020, at 9:06 a.m. PST (17:06 UTC), Bryant departed from John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, in a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, registration N72EX, along with eight other people: his 13-year-old daughter Gianna; her 13-year-old teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester and their parents Keri and John Altobelli (head baseball coach at Orange Coast College) and Sarah Chester; basketball assistant coach Christina Mauser; and pilot Ara Zobayan.[6][7][8][9] They were heading to a basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, where Bryant would coach Gianna's team.[10][11] Flight records showed that the helicopter had flown the same journey the day before without incident to Camarillo Airport (CMA), a small airport about 20 minutes by car from Mamba Sports Academy.[12] The previous day's flight had taken only 30 minutes; in contrast, driving the entire route from Bryant's home in Newport Beach to the Academy in Newbury Park would have taken at least two hours.[12]
The Los Angeles Police Air Support Division had grounded its police helicopters on Sunday morning due to the poor weather conditions;[13] Air Support Division rules require at least 2 miles (3.2 km) of visibility and an 800-foot (240 m) cloud ceiling.[14] At the time that N72EX took off from SNA, visibility was 5 miles (8.0 km) with a cloud ceiling of 1,300 feet (400 m), and it was operating under visual flight rules (VFR).[15] Flying above the clouds would have been possible if the pilot had elected to operate under instrument flight rules, but that would have led to lengthy delays and detours (thereby using up any anticipated time savings) due to severe congestion in Los Angeles controlled airspace.[15][16]Bryant's celebrity status would not have given the helicopter priority in this airspace.[15]
Because VFR require pilots to keep the ground in sight, the helicopter ascended to an altitude of 800 feet (240 m) while flying northwest from SNA.[15] On most of its previous flights to Camarillo, the helicopter had turned west at Downtown Los Angeles and flown over the Santa Monica Mountains until it picked up the Ventura Freeway (US 101).[16] But on January 26, that was not an option for VFR flights because of a deep marine layer which had pushed fog from the Pacific Ocean into the Santa Monica Mountains.[16] Instead, the helicopter continued northwest, passed over Boyle Heights near Dodger Stadium and began following the route of the Golden State Freeway (I-5); as the flight approached Glendale,[17] air traffic controllers had the helicopter circle in a holding pattern for 11 minutes starting at 9:21 a.m. (17:21 UTC)[18] before granting it permission to proceed into the controlled airspace around Burbank Airport.[15] Burbank controllers granted clearance under special VFR, requiring the pilot to stay under 2,500 feet (760 m) altitude.[19] After proceeding through the Burbank controlled airspace, the flight turned west, following the Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR 118) as it passed into the Van Nuys Airport controlled airspace; the Van Nuys controllers shortly afterward approved a turn southwest towards the Ventura Freeway (US 101) at 9:39 a.m. (17:39 UTC).[18] Pilot Ara Zobayan then acknowledged the handoff to Southern California air traffic control.[20] In a press conference, NTSB Member Jennifer Homendy stated the pilot then advised air traffic control he was putting the aircraft into a climb to avoid a cloud layer; this was the last transmission made by the pilot.[21][22]
By 9:42 a.m. (17:42 UTC), the helicopter had arrived at and started following the Ventura Freeway west, entering more hilly terrain at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley; as the ground started to rise, the helicopter went into a climb, gaining 1,000 feet (300 m) of altitude in 36 seconds.[15] At 9:44 a.m. (17:44 UTC), in response to a request from the pilot, Southern California air traffic control advised the helicopter it was too close to terrain for flight following, a tracking service that would have provided the VFR flight with continuous verbal updates on air traffic.[20] According to transponder data, the helicopter first entered a climbing turn to the left, taking a southern heading and peaking at an altitude of 2,300 feet (700 m); the helicopter then made a descending turn further to the left, taking a southeast heading. The helicopter entered a dive at 9:45:15 a.m. (17:45 UTC),[15] descending at a rate of 4,000 to 5,000 ft/min (20 to 25 m/s) with a speed of 160 knots (300 km/h) before it struck the hill at an elevation of approximately 1,400 feet (430 m).[14][23]
The helicopter crashed and caught fire in Calabasas, California, near the intersection of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street, as reported by a 911 emergency call at 9:47 a.m. (17:47 UTC).[17][24] The crash occurred on a hillside behind the headquarters of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.[25] The hillside is part of a small valley which is technically the upper end of Malibu Canyon.[16] Local residents in the vicinity on mountain bikes witnessed the crash and called 911.[25] Weather conditions were reported to be foggy.[17] Witnesses reported that the helicopter's engine was "sputtering" before the crash.[7][17] Others reported seeing it flying into the ground at a "fairly significant rate of speed." It is unclear whether a distress call was made.[10]
The crash started a 1⁄4-acre (1,000 m2) brush fire that was difficult to extinguish due to the presence of magnesium.[17] Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the fire by 10:30.[24] The debris from the crash was scattered on steep terrain, over a field estimated to extend 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m).[18] Firefighters hiked to the site and paramedics rappelled from a helicopter to the scene but could not locate any survivors.[23]
All nine occupants of the helicopter were killed in the crash.[26] According to FAA records, the helicopter was registered to the Island Express Holding Corp.; according to California Secretary of State records, that company is based in Fillmore, California.[17][27] The helicopter did not have a flight data recorder and was not required to carry one.[18]
At 11:24 a.m., less than two hours after the crash, TMZ was the first news source to confirm Bryant's death.[28][29] TMZ was later criticized at a local law enforcement press conference for reporting the story before the local law enforcement had the opportunity for the coroner's office to confirm the identity of occupants and officially inform families. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated, "It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one had perished and you learn [that] through TMZ."[30][29]
At 2:30 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Los Angeles County Fire Department held a joint press conference detailing initial aspects of the crash.[30] Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby confirmed the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were on the scene investigating.[11][31][32] A "Go Team" consisting of 18 people, including specialists and investigators from the NTSB, arrived in the evening to search for a flight recorder.[33] As a result of the crash, an investigation was launched into Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky S-76B.[34]
At 8:00 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner held another joint press conference.[citation needed]
The Sheriff urged people to stay away, because people had flooded into residential neighborhoods around the crash site and the traffic was getting in the way of first responders.[35] The FAA imposed a five-mile no-fly zone around the crash site up to an altitude of 5,000 feet.[35] The coroner was able to initially remove the remains of three of the nine victims overnight.[35] In response to attempts at unauthorized access during the first evening after the crash, the Sheriff assigned deputies to patrol the rugged terrain on horseback and all-terrain vehicles in order to enforce a secure perimeter[36] and prevent access by souvenir hunters.[37]
It was reported the following day that the pilot was told that he was at a "too low level for flight following", which he had apparently requested, by air traffic controllers moments before the helicopter crashed into the hillside. This means that the helicopter was too low to be tracked by air traffic control, but does not necessarily mean that it was too low to fly safely.[38]
On January 29, all nine bodies were recovered from the crash site, with Bryant's being identified through fingerprints.[39]
Around 200 people gathered at the foot of the hill close to the crash, with many wearing Bryant's jersey and holding basketballs. People also formed an impromptu memorial at the Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Lakers play, the team Bryant spent his entire professional career with, just hours before the arena was scheduled to host the Grammy Awards.[40] During the ceremony, host Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men performed "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" in tribute to Bryant, and other performers, including Lil Nas X, Lizzo, and DJ Khaled, incorporated tributes to Bryant in their performances.[41] Bryant's two retired jerseys hanging in the rafters of the Staples Center were illuminated with a spotlight.[42]
Fans created a memorial for Bryant outside of the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, which Bryant attended from 1992 to 1996. Jerseys, dedicated basketballs, teddy bears, flowers and candles were all laid down to memorialize Bryant.[43]
Landmarks across the United States, including Los Angeles International Airport, Madison Square Garden, and the Empire State Building, and around the world were lit purple and gold in his memory.[13][44][45][46]
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement:
The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna ... For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary ... But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability. He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.[47][48]
Gregg Downer, Bryant's high school basketball coach, was "completely shocked and devastated" by the news and was too distraught to speak to the media. Downer coached Bryant at Lower Merion High School in suburban Philadelphia from 1992 to 1996 and won the state championship with Bryant in 1996.[49]
Michael Jordan, to whom Bryant was often compared, said in a statement: "Words can't describe the pain I am feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me... We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much. He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force."[50] Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant's Lakers teammate from 1996 to 2004 and with whom he shared a friendship and later a heavily publicized feud, said that he was "sick" and "had no words to express the pain".[51] Several NBA teams paid tribute to Bryant during their games that night with intentional on-court violations referring to his uniform numbers: violations of the 24-second shot clock and the rule requiring teams to advance the ball past midcourt within 8 seconds.[52] Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted a video on Twitter expressing his condolences.[53] LeBron James, who had passed Bryant on the list of NBA career scoring leaders the previous night and had spoken to Bryant the morning of the accident, posted a statement on Instagram saying "I'm heartbroken and devastated ... I promise you I'll continue your legacy"[54] Jerry West, Laker great and general manager who orchestrated the deal to acquire Bryant for the Lakers, said that "I think the thing that resonates with me most... One person with one name — Kobe —you wouldn't have to mention his last name" and that it was the "saddest day of his life" to see the families in the helicopter crash gone.[55]
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stated "that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick."[56][57] Several NBA players with Bryant's uniform numbers decided to change to new numbers in honor of Bryant.[58]
Gianna Bryant was a fan of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team and had attended multiple games, and she had hoped to attend and play for the university. UConn tweeted an image of a jersey and flowers placed on their bench with the tribute message "A Husky forever".[59]
A.C. Milan, Bryant's favorite soccer team growing up, wore black armbands in memory of Kobe Bryant in their Coppa Italia match against Torino on January 28; a minute of silence was also held before the match.[60][61] Many soccer players and teams paid tribute to Bryant during matches and on social media.[62]
The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which was scheduled for January 28, 2 days after the tragedy.[63]
Many Major League Baseball players, teams, and other organizations memorialized Bryant in the immediate aftermath of the crash.[64] Many WWE professional wrestlers expressed their condolences for the Bryant family, as well as the company paying tribute to Bryant during their 2020 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.[65][66] Many ATP Tour tennis players paid tribute to Bryant during the 2020 Australian Open, including Novak Djokovic who noted: "He was one of the greatest athletes of all time — he inspired myself and many other people around the world."[67][68]
U.S. president Donald Trump, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and other U.S politicians all expressed their condolences.[69][70][71][72]
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