January 29. 2020

Authorities have recovered all nine bodies from the helicopter crash that killed former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and their friends. The group were on their way to a basketball game at Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, when tragedy struck.

The crash site is quite wide with the debris field leaving fragments of the large helicopter strewn at many spots on the Calabasas hillside in Los Angeles where it crashed, after quickly dropping out of the sky. The NTSB reported the helicopter was only 20-30 feet from clearing the hillside when it suddenly crashed.

The pilot was flying under very unsafe conditions, in fog that was described as being as white as milk. The helicopter became trapped within clouds. Then the pilot attempted to pull up to extricate the helicopter from the cloud layer. However, while the pilot attempted to do so, the helicopter was also moving forward at a rapid 152 MPH, headed for the hillside.

Victims of the helicopter crash

During the failed maneuver to quickly accelerate upward, the helicopter hit the hillside while it was still intact. After slamming into the hillside, the helicopter quickly plummeted at a rate of “2,000 feet per minute” with the descent lasting 1-minute before it hit the ground and was consumed by flames. The helicopter did not have a black box. Therefore, authorities are relying on data from air traffic controllers and sifting through the wreckage for additional clues as to what fully transpired.

Three bodies were recovered on the day of the crash (Sunday, January, 26. 2020). The remaining six were recovered the next day. Coroners have made positive identifications regarding Kobe Bryant, pilot Ara Zobayan, former college baseball coach John Altobelli, and Sarah Chester. The remaining five occupants of the helicopter are currently being reviewed.

The NTSB are currently investigating the crash, including delving into the life of the pilot, as this is an unusual accident that was completely preventable. Many experienced pilots have spoken out on the record about the tragedy revealing the accident was avoidable.

It is a very sad tragedy. Once again, my condolences to the victims' families and friends.

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