Ruth Haines
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The helicopter took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, and was headed to Camarillo Airport. The cause of the crash was determined to be continued VFR into IMC, where the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose orientation and control of the helicopter.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incident | 26 January 2020 |
| Aircraft | Sikorsky S-76B helicopter |
| Departure airport | John Wayne Airport (SNA), Orange County, California |
| Destination airport | Camarillo Airport |
| Cause of crash | Determined to be the fault of the pilot, exacerbated by poor weather conditions |
| Number of fatalities | 9 |
| Notable victims | Kobe Bryant, Kobe's 13-year-old daughter Gianna |
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What You'll Learn
- Kobe Bryant's helicopter departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California
- The helicopter was headed to Camarillo Airport
- The helicopter was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B
- The pilot, Ara Zobayan, lost contact with flight radar before the crash
- The crash was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Kobe Bryant's helicopter departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers boarded a helicopter at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. The group was on their way to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks. John Wayne Airport is located on the quiet side of Orange County, where small charter planes and private helicopters take off and land, away from the congestion of Los Angeles.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was piloted by Ara Zobayan. As the helicopter flew over the San Fernando Valley, the pilot grew concerned about the thickening clouds and asked flight controllers to keep track of the aircraft. While approaching the hills of Calabasas at 150 miles per hour, the pilot was radioed and informed that he was flying too low to be seen on radar. In response, the pilot commenced a climb, ascending 765 feet in 36 seconds to clear the adjacent hills.
Unfortunately, the helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. All nine people on board perished in the accident. The victims included Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, their daughter Alyssa, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, basketball coach Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the crash and concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC. In other words, the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose his sense of orientation and, consequently, control of the helicopter. The investigation also revealed that the pilot had lost contact with flight radars shortly before the crash.
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The helicopter was headed to Camarillo Airport
The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant was headed to Camarillo Airport CMA in California. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter had departed from John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, and was transporting Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers to Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park. The helicopter was scheduled to take only 30 minutes, whereas driving from Bryant's home in Newport Beach to the academy would have taken at least two hours.
On the morning of the crash, the pilot, Ara Zobayan, checked his flight-planning app, which showed a blanket of clouds covering the city, with patchy haze beneath. Despite the poor visibility, Zobayan was determined to complete the mission. As the helicopter flew northwest from SNA, it remained at a low altitude of 700 or 800 feet above mean sea level to comply with visual flight rules, which prohibit pilots from flying into or near clouds.
As the helicopter approached Burbank Airport's controlled airspace, Zobayan requested authorization to enter. Moments before the crash, air traffic controllers informed Zobayan that he was flying at a “too low level for flight following,” meaning the helicopter was too low to be tracked by air traffic control. Unfortunately, the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing Zobayan to lose his sense of orientation and, consequently, control of the helicopter.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident and concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC (Visual Flight Rules into Instrument Meteorological Conditions). This tragic incident resulted in the deaths of all nine people on board, including Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
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The helicopter was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B
On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, their daughter Alyssa, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, basketball coach Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan, crashed in Calabasas, California. The helicopter was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B, a medium-size commercial utility helicopter designed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.
The Sikorsky S-76 was developed in the mid-1970s, with the S-76B model being introduced in 1987. The S-76 was the company's first helicopter specifically developed for the civilian market, and the S-76B was powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-36A and Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-36B engines, capable of attaining a maximum speed of 155 knots (287 km/h) at sea level. The S-76 series has been used for a variety of roles, including air ambulance, search and rescue, and executive transportation, and is well-known for its use in VIP transportation.
Kobe Bryant was a frequent helicopter commuter during his playing career, and the Sikorsky S-76B was his favourite model. On the day of the crash, the helicopter departed from John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, with Kobe Bryant and eight other passengers on board. The helicopter was en route to Camarillo Airport, about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose his sense of orientation and control of the helicopter, resulting in the tragic crash that took the lives of all nine individuals on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident and concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC (Visual Flight Rules into Instrument Meteorological Conditions). This tragic incident highlights the challenges of navigating helicopters through complex airspace, especially in low-visibility conditions.
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The pilot, Ara Zobayan, lost contact with flight radar before the crash
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa, Sarah and Payton Chester, basketball coach Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan, were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was en route from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Camarillo Airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident and concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC. In other words, the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose his sense of orientation and, consequently, control of the helicopter.
The helicopter took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. PST (17:06 UTC) in low clouds with visibility of about 5 miles in Santa Ana. At 9:21:36 a.m., the helicopter circled over Glendale due to air traffic in the area. At 9:33:08 a.m., the pilot requested special visual flight rules, allowing him to operate the helicopter by sight, and received clearance to fly through Burbank's airspace.
At 9:44:08 a.m., air traffic control reported that the helicopter was flying at a "too low level for flight following," which the pilot had requested. This meant that the helicopter was too low to be tracked by air traffic control but did not necessarily indicate that it was unsafe to fly. Despite this, at 9:45:16 a.m., the helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, and radar contact was lost.
Radar data preceding the crash showed the helicopter following the 101 Freeway through Calabasas, then climbing and descending. The last data from the aircraft was received at 17:45 UTC, and the last signal from the aircraft was received one minute earlier, at 17:44 UTC.
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The crash was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26, 2020. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the crash.
The NTSB concluded that the crash was caused by continued VFR into IMC: the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose his sense of orientation and, consequently, control of the helicopter. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, made a "poor decision" to fly at "excessive airspeed" of about 160 miles per hour into an area of poor visibility. The NTSB report ruled out other factors and stated that Zobayan may have experienced "self-induced pressure" to complete the flight despite the poor visibility to satisfy his client, Kobe Bryant.
The NTSB report also highlighted the need for better pilot training on recovering from disorienting conditions and sudden loss of visibility. While the board acknowledged that such scenarios are challenging to simulate, they emphasized the potential benefits of practical instruction in helping pilots navigate similar situations. Additionally, the NTSB suggested that the charter company could enhance its safety culture and utilize better risk management tools when deciding whether to proceed with a flight. However, they also noted that these improvements might not have prevented Bryant's flight from taking off that day.
The NTSB's investigation and subsequent report provided crucial insights into the factors contributing to the tragic crash. Their findings underscored the importance of pilot training, safety culture, and decision-making protocols in helicopter operations. By advocating for safety upgrades and improved training, the NTSB aimed to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
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Frequently asked questions
Kobe Bryant left from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
Kobe was headed to Camarillo Airport from John Wayne Airport.
The helicopter crash was caused by the pilot losing his sense of orientation and control due to low cloud cover.
No, all nine people on board the helicopter died in the crash.
Kobe Bryant was headed to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks to coach his daughter Gianna's basketball team.
