January 28. 2020

41-year-old former basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, tragically died on Sunday, January 26, 2020, when his Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed. The incident occurred in Los Angeles. The Bryants were on their way to a teen basketball game, with friends on-board, who also perished in the crash.

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna

The other occupants of the helicopter are former baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli, and his 13-year-old daughter Alyssa Altobelli. Sarah Chester and her 13-year-old daughter Payton Chester, were also onboard, as was Kobe’s assistant coach Christina Mauser. The pilot Ara Zobayan was also killed in the crash.

The Bryant family

It was a very foggy day in Los Angeles. The LAPD suspended all flights by their helicopters, with spokesman Josh Rubenstein stating, “The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying.” However, as CBS News reported regarding Kobe’s helicopter, “The pilot was given special permission to fly.”

Kobe and Gianna when she was a child

During the flight, the pilot was told by air traffic controllers that he was flying too low in foggy conditions, “You are too low level for flight following at this time.” The helicopter had fallen below and off the radar. Shortly after air traffic controllers lost all contact with the aircraft which crashed into the side of a hill near the home of reality star, Khloe Kardashian.

Kobe's basketball team featuring Gianna

Authorities have established a perimeter around the crash site. Thus far three bodies have been recovered from the wreckage. Experts estimate it will take weeks to fully retrieve all the evidence from the crash site for processing.

Kobe standing in front of his private helicopter he used weekly to go to practice, to take his kids to school and attend business engagements

TMZ was the first to report the story, in conduct that has drawn condemnation from authorities, who wanted to properly inform the victims‘ families first in a gentle and respectful manner. Instead they had the horror of reading it on TMZ. It begs the question how did TMZ know Kobe had died in the crash. Even if they had a scanner, listening into emergency channels, the audio released did not state Kobe’s name.

Bryant is survived by his wife and three daughters. My condolences to the families and friends of the crash victims.

STORY SOURCE

Pilot of Kobe Bryant flight 'was warned he was too low' before helicopter crashed in thick fog

Air traffic controller warned helicopter he could no longer follow it on radar

7 hours ago - The pilot of the helicopter carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant was warned he was “too low” before the aircraft crashed into a California hillside, it emerged today. Audio between the pilot and air traffic control revealed the efforts made to guide the aircraft before contact was lost in thick fog. All nine on board, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna, died in the fireball crash.

As an investigation was launched into yesterday’s accident, tributes poured in for the NBA star who played for more than 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 2016 and was considered one of the greatest in the game’s history...

https://www.standard.co.uk