Fresh details on helicopter that killed Kobe Bryant and daughter
Sports
By
Mirror
| Jan 27, 2020
Kobe Bryant's helicopter circled 10 times above Los Angeles aerospace before it crashed killing all nine people onboard.
Radar shows how the aircraft hovered over the city of Glendale for 15 minutes before it eventually slammed into a mountainside in Calabasas, around 20 miles from downtown LA.
It was later reported that his daughter, Gianna, was also on board at the time of the crash.
Dispatch audio has been released in which the operator is heard directing emergency personnel to the crash scene.
Data provided by Flightradar24 showed that the S-76 helicopter took off from nearby Orange County and is believed to have been travelling to the city of Thousand Oaks.
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Judging by the flight path taken, the chopper carrying Bryant circled at least 10 times over a period of 15 minutes before crashing.
It is believed they were on their way to basketball practice when the crash took place.
Initial reports suggest that conditions were foggy when the aircraft came down at around 10am local time.
The NBA star regularly used his Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to travel to and from matches at the LA Laker's Staples Center.
"It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. The aircraft went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was hurt," the city of Calabas said on Twitter.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff said on Twitter that five people died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, and that there were no survivors, but this figure was later revised. They did not identify the victims.
Tributes have flooded in for the NBA superstar on social media once news of the tragedy broke.
Former England striker Gary Lineker wrote: "Oh no. How awful. One of the greatest sportsmen of our lifetime. Utterly tragic", while current England forward Raheem Sterling wrote: "Rest easy Legend".
Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said: "We miss you already Kobe", while retired NBA star Dwyane Wade wrote: "Nooooooooooo God please No!".
Former sprinter Usain Bolt tweeted: "Still can't believe @kobebryant."