[imagesource: Frederick M. Brown]

Kobe Byrant, one of basketball’s most instantly recognisable names, died yesterday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, just outside of Los Angeles.

There were nine people inside the helicopter, including Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Whilst there will still be a great deal of investigating into what led to the crash, the basketball star’s former pilot has said that the helicopter ‘had the feel of a limousine and boasted a strong safety record’.

Below from the LA Times:

Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters, told The Times he flew Bryant from 2014 to 2016. Nine times out of 10, he said, Bryant flew in “Two Echo X-ray” — the Sikorsky S-76B, tail No. N72EX, that went down Sunday morning. When Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, he flew out of downtown Los Angeles in the same helicopter, wrapped in a gray-and-black paint scheme with his Mamba emblem on the side, Deetz said.

Deetz, who said he spent more than 1,000 hours flying the craft that crashed Sunday, called its condition “fantastic.” Island Express follows a “very good maintenance program,” he said. The helicopter was owned by Island Express, according to Deetz.

Bryant favored the S-76B, Deetz said, which he compared to “a Cadillac, a limousine — it’s limo-esque.” The model is preferred by celebrities and known as comfortable and safe, he said. Its sister model, the S-76A, “is more like a work truck,” he said.

Kobe didn’t own the helicopter – it is owned by Island Express Holding, a charter company which goes by IEX Holding – but was said to lease it full-time.

More on that here.

The crash happened before 10AM, with the first 911 call being received at 9:47AM.

The chopper left John Wayne Airport at 9:06AM:

Here’s a more detailed map of the crash site:

The Sikorsky S-76B that Bryant flew in is the same helicopter that Donald Trump acquired back in 2011.

This clip gives you a quick look inside:

You can see more images of how Trump redesigned the interior here.

As investigators piece together what led to the crash, attention has turned to the weather conditions. This again from the LA Times:

Several experts have said the weather will probably be a key part of the initial investigation.

The crash occurred as dense fog blanketed the area of the crash.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said the department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters Sunday morning because of foggy conditions and didn’t fly until the afternoon.

“The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said.

Deetz, the pilot who spoke earlier about the Sikorsky S-76B and flying Kobe around, said he believed the weather conditions were to blame, rather than any kind of mechanical issue.

“The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he said.

Kobe leaves behind his wife, Vanessa, and three daughters.

We’ll finish with a look back his career:

[sources:latimes&latimes]