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2020 Calabasas helicopter crash

On January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas, California, around 30 mi (48 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, while en route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport.[1] All nine people on board were killed: retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, his daughter Alyssa, Payton Chester, her mother Sarah, basketball coach Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.[1]

Accident

January 26, 2020 (2020-01-26), 9:45 AM

Flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control

Calabasas, California, U.S.
34°8′12.7″N 118°41′32.3″W / 34.136861°N 118.692306°W / 34.136861; -118.692306

Sikorsky S-76B

Island Express Holdings Inc.

N72EX

John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California

Camarillo Airport, Camarillo, California

9

8

1

9

0

The accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC: the helicopter entered low cloud cover, which caused the pilot to lose his sense of orientation, and thence lose control.[2]

List of accidents and incidents involving helicopters

List of fatalities from aviation accidents

1995 crash of Boeing 757 in similar way in Colombia

American Airlines Flight 965

2002 crash of a Boeing 767 in similar way in South Korea.

Air China Flight 129

2001 crash of an Avro RJ100 in similar way near Zurich, Switzerland which also killed another famous persons, singers Melanie Thornton, Nathaly van het Ende and Maria Serrano Serrano of the German Eurodance trio Passion Fruit.

Crossair Flight 3597

2016 crash of Boeing 737 in similar way in Russia.

Flydubai Flight 981

2010 crash of Tupolev Tu-154 in Russia, which also involved killing a famous person, Polish President Lech Kaczyński.

Smolensk air disaster

2017 crash of same model of helicopter in Turkey

Swan Aviation Sikorsky S-76 crash

Kobe Bryant Day

another legendary athlete's death referred to as Black Sunday

Death of Dale Earnhardt

at the Aviation Safety Network

Accident description

. State of Illinois. Property Surplus. Auction and pictures of N761LL, the original registration of the helicopter involved

"1991 Sikorsky S76B, N761LL"

. National Transportation Safety Board.

"Collision with Terrain, Sikorsky S76B (Accident No. DCA20MA059)"

by Paul Bertorelli, AVweb

Kobe Bryant Crash: Risk By The Numbers

(PDF). National Transportation Safety Board.

"Rapid Descent Into Terrain, Island Express Helicopters Inc.Sikorsky S-76B, N72EX, AAR-21/01"