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NTSB launches investigation into deadly helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryan

Papi_Chulo

Miami, FL (or the nearest big-booty club)

Federal safety investigators launched a probe on Sunday into the deadly helicopter crash in the Los Angeles area that killed basketball legend Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his teenage daughter, Gianna.

The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B, crashed in a hilly area in Calabasas, Calif. at around 9:47 a.m. PT, the National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said in a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Fog and low visibility was reported in the area but it was not immediately clear whether that was the cause or a factor in the crash.

The NTSB is sending a “go team” to the crash site and will evaluate the helicopter’s maintenance records, the pilot of the helicopter, who was killed in the crash, as well look into the owner and operator the S-76B, Homendy said. NTSB will have a team of 18 people, including a family assistance team and specialists in structures and engines, she said, adding that the team’s size is routine for this type of incident.

The investigators will also look into how many passengers the helicopter can carry. Because the team is flying from Washington and will arrive in California after sundown, it wasn’t clear how much work they would be able to do on Sunday.

The Sikorsky S-76 model enjoys a relatively strong safety record and has been flying for more than four decades, and has been used by the oil and gas industry, executives, the medical transportation industry, among others. What flight-tracking site Flightradar24 said was likely the helicopter Bryant was flying on, an S-76B, was built in 1991, according to FAA records.

The helicopter’s owner listed in the FAA’s records, Island Express Holding Corp could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sikorsky is a unit of Lockheed Martin. “We have been in contact with the NTSB and stand ready to provide assistance and support to the investigative authorities and our customer,” the manufacturer said in a statement. “Safety is our top priority; if there are any actionable findings from the investigation, we will inform our S-76 customers.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/26/kobe-bry…