41-year-old legendary basketball star, Kobe Bryant who spent 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, was killed Sunday morning when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed amid foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas in Los Angeles, California, USA.
National Basketball Association, NBA, Authorities have confirmed that the basketball legend, his daughter Gianna, her teammate, and four others were on board the helicopter when it crashed.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva who said nine people were on the copter – a pilot and eight passengers, however, declined to confirm who had died in the crash until all the next of kin have been notified.
The L.A. County coroner’s office said Sunday night that the recovery effort is expected to take several days because of the condition of the crash site and its remote location.
Officials have shut down roads leading to the site because of a throng of visitors trying to get there.
Los Angeles Police Department, LAPD spokesman, Josh Rubenstein said the department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon because the foggy weather on Sunday morning was severe.
Mr. Rubenstein explained that “The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” “LAPD’s flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling”.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI.
The investigation will cover maintenance records of the helicopter, owner-operator information, conditions near the crash site and other factors that might have been involved in the crash.
The helicopter’s manufacturer, Sikorsky, said in a statement issued on Sunday that it is cooperating with the investigation.
Culled from “Los Angeles Times “
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