2020 Calabasas helicopter crash
On Sunday, January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, around northwest of downtown Los Angeles, while en route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport. Nine people were on board, including retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, five other passengers, and the pilot. Everyone on the helicopter was killed on impact.
It is unclear what caused the crash, as the helicopter was not carrying a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder due to it not being mandatory for aircraft of this type in line with FAA regulations. A subsequent autopsy was unable to detect any traces of drugs or alcohol in the pilot's system, and preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board state that there was no evidence of engine failure. However, an investigation has been launched into Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky S-76B.
The death of Bryant sparked multiple remembrances and tributes, including those of incumbent U.S. president Donald Trump, and former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Accident
On January 26, 2020, at approximately 9:06 a.m. PST, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, in a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, registration N72EX, along with seven other people including John Altobelli and pilot Ara Zobayan. They were heading to a basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, where Bryant was scheduled to coach Gianna's team. Flight records showed that the helicopter had flown the same journey the day before without incident to Camarillo Airport, a major general aviation airport about 20 minutes by car from Mamba Sports Academy. The previous day's flight had taken only 30 minutes; in contrast, driving from Bryant's home in Newport Beach to the academy would have taken at least 2 hours.Weather conditions
The Los Angeles Police Air Support Division had grounded its police helicopters on the morning of January 26 due to poor visibility and low ceiling; Air Support Division rules require at least of visibility and an cloud ceiling. At the time that N72EX took off from SNA, visibility was with a ceiling of, and it was operated by Island Express Helicopters Inc. as a on-demand passenger flight under visual flight rules. Flying through clouds is possible if a pilot elects to operate under instrument flight rules, but according to a former pilot for Island Express and FAA records, the company's pilots were not allowed to fly under IFR. In addition, the company's Part 135 operating certificate, issued in 1998, limited operations to on-demand VFR-only flights. Even if the company's operating certificate and rules had allowed for flying under IFR, that option would have led to lengthy delays and detours because of severe congestion in Los Angeles controlled airspace. Bryant's celebrity status would not have given the helicopter priority in that airspace.According to an automated weather station, the ceiling at the Van Nuys Airport was above ground level. Closer to the site of the crash, the cloud top extended up to above mean sea level, meaning that aircraft between those two altitudes would be enveloped in clouds.
Flight
Because visual flight rules prohibit a pilot from flying into or near clouds, the helicopter ascended to an altitude of above mean sea level while flying northwest from SNA. 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. 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. Instead, the helicopter continued northwest, passed over Boyle Heights near Dodger Stadium and began following the route of the Golden State Freeway ; as the flight approached Glendale, pilot Zobayan requested permission from the Burbank Airport air traffic controllers to transition to following the Ventura Freeway ; Burbank controllers advised him that weather conditions around the airport dictated IFR and held the helicopter circling in a holding pattern for 11 minutes starting at 9:21 a.m. before granting it permission at 9:32 a.m. to proceed into the controlled airspace around Burbank Airport.Permission to proceed was granted under special VFR, requiring the pilot to stay under altitude. The helicopter climbed to an altitude of amsl. After proceeding through the Burbank controlled airspace, the flight turned west, following the Ronald Reagan Freeway as it passed into the Van Nuys Airport controlled airspace; the Van Nuys controllers shortly afterward approved a turn southwest towards the Ventura Freeway at 9:39 a.m.. Zobayan then confirmed he was still in VFR flight conditions at and acknowledged the handoff to Southern California air traffic control.
By 9:42 a.m., 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. At 9:44 a.m., in response to a request from Zobayan, the SCT controller advised that the helicopter 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. The SCT controller terminated flight following and was subsequently relieved by a different controller. Because the original SCT controller had gone off duty, the relieving controller asked Zobayan to identify and asked what his intentions were. In a press conference, NTSB Member Jennifer Homendy stated he then advised air traffic control he was putting the aircraft into a climb to avoid a cloud layer, intending to level out at ; this was the last transmission made by Zobayan.
As the ground started to rise, the helicopter went into a climb, gaining approximately of altitude in 36 seconds. According to transponder data, the helicopter first entered a climbing turn to the left, taking a southern heading and peaking at an altitude of amsl. Eight seconds later, at about 9:45:18 a.m. the helicopter, continuing its left turn to the southeast, started to descend rapidly. It reached a descent rate of more than and a ground speed of before it struck a hillside at 9:45:39 a.m. at an elevation of approximately.
Impact and emergency response
The helicopter crashed and caught fire in Calabasas, California, near the intersection of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street, as reported by a 9-1-1 emergency call at 9:47 a.m.. The crash occurred on the New Millennium Loop Trail, on a hillside behind the headquarters of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. The hillside is public land managed by both the water district and another government agency known as the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and forms part of a small valley that also happens to be the upper end of Malibu Canyon.At the time, weather conditions in Calabasas were reported to be foggy. The helicopter came down between two groups of mountain bikers who called 9-1-1. Witnesses reported that the helicopter's engine was "sputtering" before the crash. Others reported seeing the helicopter flying into the ground at a "fairly significant rate of speed." It is unclear whether a distress call was made.
The crash started a brush fire that was difficult to extinguish because of the presence of magnesium. Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the fire by 10:30. The debris from the crash was scattered on steep terrain over a field estimated to extend. Firefighters hiked to the site and paramedics rappelled from a helicopter to the scene but could not locate any survivors; all nine occupants of the helicopter were killed in the crash. Based on examinations by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, all nine occupants died from blunt trauma.
Aircraft N72EX
Until 2015, the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter N72EX was owned by the State of Illinois, which used it to transport governors and other officials. According to FAA and California Secretary of State records, the helicopter was registered to the Island Express Holding Corporation, based in Fillmore, California. The passenger compartment of the helicopter was converted from configuration seating twelve to eight after the sale to Island Express. It was not generally known in the aftermath of the crash whether Bryant had chartered the aircraft or leased it full-time.The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder ; helicopters in the U.S. are not required to carry them. Although the S-76B originally had a CVR installed, records show that Island Express removed the CVR shortly after acquiring the helicopter from the State of Illinois in March 2016. The helicopter was also not equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system ; although the NTSB recommended that all helicopters equipped with six or more passenger seats be equipped with a TAWS after a 2004 S-76A crash, the FAA did not implement the recommendation.
Reporting and investigation
At 11:24 a.m., less than two hours after the crash, TMZ was the first news source to confirm Bryant's death. TMZ was later criticized by local law enforcement for reporting the story before the coroner's office had the opportunity to confirm the identities of the helicopter's occupants and inform their families. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated, "It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one had perished and you learn through TMZ."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. Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby confirmed the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were on the scene investigating. A "Go Team" consisting of 18 people, including specialists and investigators from the NTSB, arrived in the evening to search for a flight recorder. As a result of the crash, an investigation was launched into Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky S-76B.
Sheriff Villanueva 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 responders. The FAA imposed a five-mile no-fly zone around the crash site up to an altitude of 5,000 feet at the request of Bryant's wife, Vanessa, in order to protect the victims' privacy. The Medical Examiner-Coroner was able to initially remove the remains of three of the nine victims overnight. In response to attempts at unauthorized access during the first evening after the crash, Sheriff Villanueva assigned deputies to patrol the rugged terrain on horseback and all-terrain vehicles in order to enforce a secure perimeter and prevent access by souvenir hunters. It was later reported that Los Angeles County sheriff deputies had taken and shared unauthorized graphic photos of the crash scene and were ordered by Sheriff Villanueva to delete the photographs to avoid discipline. The deletion of these photos led the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to question whether that amounted to a cover-up.
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.
By January 28, all nine bodies had been recovered from the crash site by the Medical Examiner-Coroner. The bodies of Kobe Bryant and three others were identified through fingerprints on January 28, and the five other bodies were identified on January 30 after DNA testing and analysis. Autopsies were conducted on January 28. By February 1, the Medical Examiner-Coroner had released most of the victims' bodies to their families, including the Bryants.
A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said on January 31 that Island Express Helicopters, which owned the helicopter that crashed, was not certified to fly in foggy conditions. It is unknown if the pilot was flying on instruments at the time of the crash.
On January 30, the wreckage of the helicopter was transported from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona for further analysis by NTSB investigators. However, the secure perimeter remained in place around the crash site, pending removal of hazardous materials by a private hazmat cleanup crew under the supervision of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
On February 7, the NTSB released an "investigative update" regarding the crash. Final findings, causes, and recommendations are not expected until the NTSB releases a full report expected 12–18 months after the accident. Preliminary findings from the NTSB update show that there was no evidence of engine failure The report indicates that "...viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure" and furthermore that damage to the blades were "consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact." The update also revealed that the "impact crater was 24 feet-by-15 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep" and the main wreckage came to rest about 127 feet away from the point of initial impact at an angle of 347⁰ where it was consumed by fire. Much of the helicopter, cabin, cockpit and instrumentation were "highly fragmented" and destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
On February 24, 2020, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant's wife and the mother of Gianna, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company that was transporting the 8 passengers as well as the heirs of the estate of the pilot, Ara Zobayan.
On June 17, the NTSB released the public docket on the crash. It contained more than 1,700 pages "of factual reports on operations, survival factors, human performance, air traffic control, and aircraft performance. The docket also includes interview transcripts, photographs, and other investigative materials."
Memorials
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, the home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers just hours before the arena was scheduled to host the Grammy Awards. 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, Run-DMC, Aerosmith and DJ Khaled, incorporated tributes to Bryant in their performances. Bryant's two retired jerseys hanging in the rafters of the Staples Center were illuminated by spotlight. A week after Bryant's death, Staples Center staff began to clean up the makeshift memorial outside the arena, but promised to catalog, pack, and ship all nonperishable items to his family. Among the items thus recovered were 1,350 basketballs, as well as "25,000 candles, 5,000 signs or letters, 500 stuffed animals, 350 pairs of shoes and 14 banners."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.
Landmarks around the world, including the Los Angeles International Airport, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building and the Santa Ana Water tower in Bryant's home of Orange County, CA were lit purple and gold in Bryant's memory.
On February 2, the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, lit up with images in tribute to Bryant and his daughter. The display was arranged by the Executive Chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Ahmed Sultan Bin Sulayem.
On February 7, Kobe and his daughter were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach.
A celebration of life for Kobe and his daughter was held at Staples Center on February 24, 2020.
Basketball
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement:Gregg Downer, Bryant's high school basketball coach, was "completely shocked and devastated" by the news and was initially 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.
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." 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." 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 eight seconds. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted a video on Twitter expressing his condolences. LeBron James, who had passed Bryant on the list of NBA career scoring leaders the previous night and had spoken to Bryant on the morning of the accident, posted a statement on Instagram, saying "I'm heartbroken and devastated... I promise you I'll continue your legacy." Jerry West, Laker great and general manager who had 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 learn that the families in the helicopter crash had died.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said "that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick." Several NBA players previously wearing Bryant's uniform numbers decided to change to new numbers in honor of Bryant.
The NBA later postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers that had been scheduled for January 28, two days after the accident. The game was rescheduled for July 30, the second game of the NBA’s return from their suspension from the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally planned to be made up on April 9, but was postponed again due to the suspension. On January 30, the first game after the crash was played at Staples Center between the Clippers and the Sacramento Kings, the Clippers honored Bryant before the game, by having Paul George narrate a video tribute to Bryant. The Clippers also uncovered Kobe’s 8 and 24 retired jerseys as part of the tribute. Usually, the Clippers hide all of the Lakers’ retired numbers and championship banners during their home games. The next day, the Lakers played their first game after the crash against the Portland Trail Blazers. Ahead of the match, Lakers paid tribute to Bryant and all who lost their lives in the crash with a ceremony held just before tip off, with Usher singing "Amazing Grace" and Boyz II Men, who performed at the Grammy’s 5 days prior to the Lakers’ first game since the crash, singing the National Anthem, while Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth reunited to perform their hit "See You Again" at halftime. James also delivered a speech to the crowd before the game, and every starter in the Lakers starting lineup was announced with Bryant's name. The Lakers also wore a patch with Kobe’s initials, which will be worn for the rest of the season. The Lakers home court also paid tribute to Kobe by placing “KB” logos on the back ends of the court, and Kobe’s numbers on the sidelines, with his #8 near the Lakers bench, and his #24 near the visiting team‘s bench. The game was the second-most watched game in ESPN history, averaging 4.41 million viewers.
On February 15, commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award would be renamed to the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player in honor of Bryant. Also, in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game on February 16, each player on Team Giannis wore the jersey number 24, in honor of Kobe, while each player on Team LeBron wore the jersey number 2, in honor of Gianna.
Soon after the crash, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield put Kobe's name on their large sign out front as fans left candles and flowers on the large statue of James Naismith in front of the entrance. A vigil and a moment of silence was held inside the shrine with many fans of Bryant and the Lakers in attendance, despite it being in a strongly Celtics fans region. In addition to the Hall of Fame turning the thousands of lights of the large sphere of the shrine itself purple and gold numerous other office buildings in downtown Springfield did as well. Several billboards on Interstate 90 in Massachusetts were also dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant. Bryant was also inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 along with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett as players on their first years of eligibility.
In May 2020, almost four months after the crash, Mamba Sports Academy reverted its name to Sports Academy by dropping the "Mamba" nickname out of respect to Bryant.
Other sports
Many Major League Baseball, National Football League, and National Hockey League players, teams and other organizations memorialized Bryant in the immediate aftermath of the crash.Many NFL players took time in the 2020 Pro Bowl to pay their respect to Bryant in the form of prayers and celebration tributes. A week later, at Super Bowl LIV, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers both stood on the 24-yard line on their respective ends of the field, and held a moment of silence to honor Kobe, Gianna, and the seven other people killed in the crash, along with Chris Doleman, who passed away two days after Bryant. Hard Rock Stadium, the host site of Super Bowl LIV, was also lit up in purple and gold, the colors of the Lakers, the day after the crash, to honor Bryant.
The Los Angeles Kings wore purple and gold warm-up jerseys before their game against the Edmonton Oilers, with each jersey crested with the Lakers' logo on the front, as well Bryant's name and either #8 or #24 on the back.
WWE paid tribute to Bryant during its 2020 Royal Rumble pay-per-view later that night, as did All Elite Wrestling during that week's AEW Dynamite in Cleveland with the Southern California-based stable SoCal Uncensored wearing Bryant jerseys to the ring, and many professional wrestlers expressed their condolences for the Bryant family.
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."
A.C. Milan, Bryant's favorite soccer team growing up in Italy, wore black armbands in memory of him in their Coppa Italia match against Torino on January 28, 2020. A minute of silence was also held before the match. Many soccer players and teams paid tribute to Bryant during matches and on social media. On January 26, 2020, after scoring his second goal from penalty spot against Lille OSC, Neymar paid tribute to Bryant by striking out four fingers of his right and two fingers of his left hand to mark number 24 towards the camera and then by offering a prayer to the heavens. On February 27, 2020, before Los Angeles FC's home match against Club León in the CONCACAF Champions League, LAFC fans unveiled a tifo honoring the Bryants; team captain Carlos Vela also wore an armband with Kobe's initials and uniform numbers.
The NASCAR Cup Series' 2020 Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, located in nearby Fontana, California, featured various tributes from drivers and teams. Ryan Blaney and William Byron drove cars with special paint schemes honoring Bryant, with the former's being sponsored by Bodyarmor SuperDrink, a company of which Bryant was an investor. Sales of toy replicas of the cars were donated to philanthropic organizations connected to Bryant, with Byron's going to After-School All-Stars and Blaney's to MambaOnThree.org. Tyler Reddick's No. 8 car featured a tribute sticker, while Daniel Suárez raced with purple-and-gold gloves and shoes that were auctioned to support the Mamba On Three Fund. The track also painted a number 24 decal in the infield, while NASCAR conducted a pre-race ceremony to honor the victims.