2020 Calabasas helicopter crash

2020 Calabasas helicopter crash
Investigators examining debris at the crash site the day after the accident
Accident
DateJanuary 26, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-01-26), 9:45 AM
SummaryFlight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control
SiteCalabasas, California, U.S.
34°8′12.7″N 118°41′32.3″W / 34.136861°N 118.692306°W / 34.136861; -118.692306
Aircraft
Aircraft typeSikorsky S-76B
OperatorIsland Express Holdings Inc.
RegistrationN72EX
Flight originJohn Wayne Airport, Orange County, California
DestinationCamarillo Airport, Camarillo, California
Occupants9
Passengers8
Crew1
Fatalities9
Survivors0

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]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAR-21-01 Final Report was invoked but never defined (see the help page).