Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna among 9 killed in helicopter crash in Calabasas
CALABASAS — Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed Sunday, Jan. 26, when a helicopter taking them to his youth basketball academy crashed in the foggy hills of Calabasas.
There were no survivors.
Those on board the 12-seat helicopter included Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, according to news reports. Another victim was Christina Mauser, who was a coach at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa mayor Katrina Foley tweeted.
The identities of all victims would not be announced until families are notified, said Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B, took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:08 a.m., records show.
The crash, in the area of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street, was called in at 9:47 a.m., according to a watch commander at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lost Hills/Malibu station.
MAP: The route of the helicopter flight
The downed chopper triggered a small fire that was quickly put out.
Two men working at the Church in the Canyon, a small Presbyterian congregation on Las Virgenes Road immediately to the west of the crash site, were the first to see the Sikorsky helicopter plunge into the side of the hill.
Jerry Kosharian, 62, a longtime facilities manager for the church, was drinking his coffee and talking on his phone in the parking lot when he heard a helicopter buzzing by.
Something was wrong. The helicopter sounded too low, he thought.
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“It sounded like the engine was struggling,” Kosharian said.
Kosharian never saw the helicopter. The clouds Sunday morning were too thick and low. But as he turned to the sound coming from the side of the hill, he saw fireballs raining down around the crash site.
Scott Daehlin, 61, was setting up sound for the service when he heard a helicopter above him hovering. After about 20 seconds there was a loud crack and knew it crashed.
“He was in the soup,” Daehlin said, referring to the low cloud cover Sunday morning.
Daehlin’s dad was a pilot. Daehlin said he thinks the helicopter lost visibility entirely and was looking for a landmark to tell him where he was.
He heard the explosion, he said, then silence.
The Los Angeles Police Department had grounded their helicopters Sunday morning because of the weather conditions, CNN reported.
A review of radio communications between the Burbank airport tower and the helicopter shows the pilot requested permission to fly by special visual flight rules. The tower can be heard telling the pilot they were too low before the conversation ended.
An 18-member team from the National Transportation Safety Board was en route to investigate the crash, including the history of the pilot and the maintenance record of the aircraft, said NTSB member Jennifer Homendy.
The Lakers confirmed that Bryant, 41, was one of the victims.
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“We can confirm that Kobe Bryant passed away today from the causes of a helicopter accident. The entire Los Angeles Lakers family wishes to support their family and friends. RIP KOBE,” the team tweeted at 12:24 p.m.
The National Basketball Association sent a confirmation of Bryant’s and his daughter Gianna’s deaths to all teams and league employees Sunday afternoon, according to two people familiar with the document, the New York Times reported.
Mauser was an assistant coach to Bryant in youth basketball, said Dave White, who coached her at Edison High School. Her husband Matt Mauser of the Tijuana Dogs band wrote on Facebook, “My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much.”
News of Bryants’ death brought messages of grief and heartache from fans and professional athletes alike, from team owners and playground enthusiasts. Crowds gathered at Staples Center where the Lakers play and huddled near the hillside where the helicopter went down.
LAX’s pylons were lit in purple and gold in memory of Bryant and the others. New York City’s Madison Square Garden also was lit up in Lakers colors.
Hundreds of people gathered throughout the day on Las Virgenes, gawking up at the still smoldering crash site. A few firefighters and other officials killed around the small crater.
Wreckage was visible, but little of the Sikorsky helicopter remained, only bits and pieces.
From the sidewalk on the west side of the road, fans and other onlookers stood around for hours behind police tape. Some in jerseys — several wearing No. 8, Kobe’s first jersey as a Laker, others wearing hats and sweatshirts in purple and gold — sobbed and held each other.
Bryan Miller, a Lakers fan for 30 years, straddled his bicycle and took photos of the scene. He wore an original Magic Johnson jersey.
“I’m heartbroken. I’m stunned,” Miller said.
See also: Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli dies in crash with Kobe Bryant
Bryant and the others were en route to the Mamba Academy in nearby Thousand Oaks for basketball games when the crash occurred. Gianna, nicknamed GiGi, had games scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the academy, and Bryant was expected to coach.
Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade tweeted: “Nooooooooooo God please No!”
“Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired, amazed, and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court — and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father, husband, creative genius, and ambassador for the game he loved,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
“He will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes. This is a moment that leaves us struggling to find words that express the magnitude of shock and sorrow we are all feeling right now, and I am keeping Kobe’s entire family in my prayers at this time of unimaginable grief.”
Known as the “Black Mamba,” Bryant’s influence on the community shown in the tearful emojis twittered by the young fans who grew up with the 20-year Laker. The five-time NBA champion, the 17-time NBA All Star was remembered as not only a giant among professional athletes, but for many an inspiration.
His path was not always easy or without controversy. In 2003, he was accused of sexual assault by a hotel worker with whom he admitted to having consensual sex. The criminal charge was latter dropped.
Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce — who battled Kobe twice in the NBA Finals — tweeted: “This is not real right now.”
Emile Haddad, the chairman and CEO of Irvine-based FivePoint Holdings Inc., grew to appreciate Bryant’s perspective and the role he wanted to play in his adopted home of Orange County.
“Most of the world knew Kobe as a celebrity and superstar. My discussions were not about his fame, but the role he wanted to play in the community,” Haddad said in a statement. “I was fortunate enough to see what he stood for as a real human being.“
“It was in those moments I realized there were ideas and issues we shared in common around community and how to make a difference,” he said.
Robert Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Co., called Bryant “‘a giant in sports and a person so full of life. Terrible news and so hard to process….”
Entertainer Cherm tweeted: “My heart goes out to Kobe’s family, friends, fans. It’s so hard to deal with the death of a great star because we feel as if we knew them personally. Kobe Bryant was a great athlete and all of America will feel his loss. The world has lost a bright light.”
Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete. pic.twitter.com/9EZuwk8wrV
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) January 26, 2020
President Donald Trump also weighed in Sunday, tweeting that Bryant’s death was “terrible news!”
Bryant lived in Newport Beach, where city officials sent out the following statement Sunday: “It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Newport Beach resident and international sports legend Kobe Bryant. Our prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues and neighbors as our community grieves this sudden and devastating loss. Kobe leaves behind an unmatched legacy of excellence, on and off the court, that will not be forgotten.”
Bryant, one of the NBA’s all-time greats, last tweeted himself Saturday night, congratulating current Lakers superstar LeBron James on passing Bryant for third place on the league’s all-time scoring list.
“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother,” the tweet said.
As of 6:05 p.m. CalTrans closed both the north and southbound US-101 Fwy off-ramps to Las Virgenes Road due to the ongoing helicopter crash investigation.
Staff writers Chris Haire and Tarek Fattal contributed to this report.
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