Los Angeles Lakers icon and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. An investigation into the crash that killed all nine people on board, including Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, is ongoing, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
CBS Sports will provide the latest information confirmed, as well as social media reaction, here.
Here is what has been confirmed so far:
- A Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed just before 10 a.m. PT near Calabasas, California.
- Bryant and his daughter were headed to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, for a youth basketball event.
- The helicopter carrying Bryant and eight others had been given special permission to fly despite foggy conditions, according to a report from the New York Times. Due to the inclement weather, the chopper was flying quite low, according to CNN, who reported, “At one point, an air traffic controller informed the pilot, “You’re still too low for flight following at this time,” meaning the chopper wasn’t flying high enough to register on radar.
- Nine confirmed deaths and no survivors.
- All nine victims have been identified, according to CBS News.
- Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were on board.
- John Altobelli, a champion baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was killed along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa.
- Other victims include: Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan.
- A brush fire caused by the crash prevented first responders from immediately getting to the site.
- There was no black box in the helicopter. Having one was not a requirement.
- The pilot had 8,200 hours of flight time as of records submitted in July. His record, along with the records of any crew, will be examined during the investigation.
- The helicopter circled Glendale for 14 minutes after takeoff. The pilot proceeded to climb into the clouds before taking a sharp turn and ultimately hitting the ground.
- Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby: “The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s initial response was 15 pieces of apparatus and 56 personnel.”
- Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby: “At 9:47 a.m. the Los Angeles County Fire Department received a 911 call of a potential helicopter down and a brush fire…Upon arrival, our firefighters discovered approximately a quarter-acre brush fire that resulted from a crash on the hillside.”
- The bodies of all nine victims of Sunday’s crash have been recovered according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. They have been “transported to the department’s Forensic Science Center,” the coroner’s department said in a statement. The final body was recovered on Tuesday.
- Investigators have not yet established the cause of the crash. They will examine the pilot’s history, the condition of the aircraft and the weather conditions among various other things during the investigation.
- The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, Gianna and the seven others did not possess a recommended safety device, according to AP, though it remains unclear if it would have helped prevent the fatal accident.
Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time, as his resume pretty much speaks for itself. His accolades include:
- Spent 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers
- Fourth-leading scorer in NBA history (33,643 points)
- Five-time NBA champion, twice named Finals MVP
- 18-time All-Star
- 11-time All-NBA First Team
- Nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist
- Youngest player in NBA history at the time of his debut in 1996