.jpg) Investigators examining debris at the crash site the day after the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 26, 2020, 9:45 AM |
| Summary | Flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control |
| Site | Calabasas, California, U.S. 34°8′12.7″N 118°41′32.3″W / 34.136861°N 118.692306°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 the city of Calabasas, California, around 30 mi (48 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, while en route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport.[1] All nine people on board were killed: retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna; baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and his daughter Alyssa; Sarah Chester and their daughter Payton; basketball coach Christina Mauser; and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.[1]
The accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC: the helicopter entered low cloud cover, which caused the pilot to lose his sense of orientation, and thus losing control.[2]
- ^ a b Barnes, Mike; Kilkenny, Katie (January 26, 2020). "Kobe Bryant, NBA Superstar and Oscar Winner, Dies in Helicopter Crash". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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