The crash occurred about 9:45 a.m. PT in the hills above Calabasas, Calif., in extremely foggy conditions, according to The Los Angeles Times, and created a brush fire that made it difficult for emergency personnel to reach the helicopter. All nine passengers on board the aircraft died, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a news conference Sunday afternoon.
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Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash. Four other people have been identified as being among the victims: Alyssa Altobelli, a teammate of Gianna’s on their travel basketball team (the helicopter crashed en route to one of their games); Altobelli’s parents, John and Keri Altobelli; and Christina Mauser, who coached Bryant’s daughter. John Altobelli was the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College.
Initial reports indicated there were five people in the helicopter but Villanueva said the helicopter’s manifest showed the helicopter was carrying eight passengers in addition to one pilot. Villanueva said the names of those killed would be disclosed after notification of next of kin.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said Sunday night that recovery efforts will take days to complete because the helicopter crashed in a remote area of the county, according to the Times. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby told reporters Sunday afternoon that 56 fire personnel responded to the crash site and worked to put out a blaze that burned over a quarter-acre area in steep terrain.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Sunday afternoon. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct the investigation. The FBI is lending assistance, although the Times noted that the Bureau’s involvement is standard procedure in such cases.
The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-76B built in 1991, the Times reported, adding that the NTSB’s database listed no prior incidents or accidents for the aircraft. It took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., at 9:06 a.m. PT Sunday, per the Times, and was headed toward Thousand Oaks, Calif., where Bryant’s Mamba Academy is located. The academy was scheduled to host a game Sunday in which Bryant was to coach.
One of the greatest players in NBA history, Bryant retired in 2016 after winning five championships and scoring more than 33,000 points with the Lakers. He played 20 seasons for Los Angeles after being acquired in a trade with the Hornets following the 1996 NBA Draft.
In addition to being a five-time titlist, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA player, a 12-time All-Defensive team member, a two-time Finals MVP and a two-time scoring champion. He was voted the league’s MVP in the 2007-08 season.
Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three of their children: Natalia, 17; Bianka, 3; and Capri, who was born in June.
