All nine occupants have been killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Califonia, northwest of Los Angeles on Sunday morning.
Former American basketball champion Kobe Bryant (41), his daughter Gianna (13), a pilot and six other passengers were on board the helicopter at the time it crashed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has issued a statement, saying that the circumstances of the accident are currently unknown. Both FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash. 18 people, including air crash investigators and specialists, will arrive in California this evening under a so-called ‘Go Team’ by the NTSB.
Initial media and witness reports say that the helicopter was flying in foggy conditions before it crashed and burst into flames on a hill close to the city of Calabasas in Los Angeles County, California at about 9:45 am local time. It was on a flight from Santa Ana Orange County John Wayne Airport (IATA: SNA). The crash site was first attended by the Los Angeles Country Fire Department. It reportedly took until about 10:30 am until the fire was extinguished.
The number of occupants and fatalities was initially reported to be five. However, in a later statement by the Los Angeles County Sheriff, it was increased to nine. The official did not mention the identities of those killed. Names would only be published once relatives have been informed.
In Air Traffic Control (ATC) recordings from moments before the accident happened (later obtained via LiveATC), a controller can be heard advising the helicopter, which is flying under ‘Visual Flight Rules’ (VFR) conditions, that it is flying too low. The pilot did not respond to the radio call.
The aircraft involved was a 1991-built Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, registered as N72EX (pictured above) and owned by ‘Island Express Holding Corp.’, according to the FAA aircraft registry. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of defense conglomerate Lockheed Martin, and issued a statement via Twitter.
Kobe Bryant was a five-time champion in the US basketball league NBA and among the most successful athletes in the sport until his retirement in 2016.
Los Angeles International Airport is lighting its pylons in yellow and purple during the night following the fatal crash, in memory to Bryant, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball club for 20 years. Source : IFN.COM
