Noah Patel
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven other people were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was owned and operated by a company called Island Express, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The helicopter was previously owned by the state of Illinois, which sold it at auction in 2015. Bryant was known to use private helicopters to beat Los Angeles traffic and spend more time with his family.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Owner of the helicopter | Island Express Holding Corp. |
| Previous owner of the helicopter | State of Illinois |
| Year of sale | 2015 |
| Amount sold for | $515,161 |
| Buyer | "Jimbagge1" |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
| Model | Sikorsky S-76B |
| Year of manufacture | 1991 |
| Mileage at time of sale | 3,951 miles |
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What You'll Learn
- Kobe Bryant's helicopter was owned by the state of Illinois before it was sold to Island Express
- The Sikorsky S-76B model is widely used for VIP travel
- The helicopter lacked a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS)
- The helicopter was registered to Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California
- Kobe Bryant used helicopters to beat Los Angeles traffic
Kobe Bryant's helicopter was owned by the state of Illinois before it was sold to Island Express
Kobe Bryant, a retired professional basketball player, was known for commuting via helicopter. On January 26, 2020, the helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine people on board. The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-76B, owned and operated by a company called Island Express, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was previously owned by the state of Illinois. The state sold the aircraft in August 2015 for $515,161 in an online auction. The helicopter, which was built in 1991, had logged 3,951 miles of airtime at the time of the sale. It was purchased by a bidder identified as "Jimbagge1".
Following its transfer to Island Express, the helicopter's registration was changed from N76ILL to N72EX. Island Express, which goes by IEX Helicopters, removed its website and social media accounts shortly after the crash. The company issued a statement saying it was working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the cause of the crash.
Kobe Bryant's use of helicopters became well-known, as he used them to navigate Los Angeles traffic and spend more time with his family. He had spoken about his use of helicopters in a chat with former MLB player Alex Rodriguez for the Barstool Sports podcast, The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat. Bryant stated that he started using helicopters to beat traffic and make it to his children's school events on time.
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The Sikorsky S-76B model is widely used for VIP travel
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B, was owned and operated by a company called Island Express. It was previously owned by the state of Illinois.
The S-76 series, of which the S-76B is a part, has a long legacy of supporting customers with reliability and comfort. With more than 7.5 million hours of safe and successful flights, the S-76 has become a popular choice for VIP customers. It is used by ten countries to carry their heads of state, and many corporations use it for executive transport. The S-76 was originally built for the rigorous demands of offshore oil and gas transportation, but its capabilities have made it well-suited for corporate and executive transport, as well as air ambulance and search-and-rescue services.
The S-76B can hold up to 12 passengers in its airline/offshore configuration and 6-8 passengers in its VIP/corporate configuration. It is capable of providing VIP luxury and reliability for executive, commercial, and rescue operations. The S-76 series has been periodically used to test new technologies and capabilities, and its advanced cockpit has been studied for single-pilot operations.
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The helicopter lacked a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS)
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven other people were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The helicopter was owned and operated by a company called Island Express and was previously owned by the state of Illinois.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that Kobe Bryant flew in lacked a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS). TAWS is a safety system that provides a distinctive warning to pilots when their aircraft is dangerously close to the ground or other terrain. This technology was not developed for helicopters until 2006, when the NTSB called on the FAA to require all registered turbine-powered helicopters that could carry at least 6 passengers to be equipped with TAWS.
TAWS improves on the existing ground proximity warning system (GPWS) by providing earlier warnings to the flight crew about impending terrain, as well as forward-looking capability and continued operation during landing. These improvements give the flight crew more time to take corrective action and reduce the risk of a "controlled flight into terrain" (CFIT) accident.
Despite the benefits of TAWS, as of 2007, 5% of the world's commercial airlines still lacked this system. In the case of Kobe Bryant's helicopter, it is unclear why it did not have a TAWS installed, especially given the relatively strong safety record of the S-76 model. The absence of this safety system may have been a contributing factor in the tragic crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant and eight others.
To address the lack of TAWS in helicopters and improve safety, organizations like RTCA special committees and EUROCAE working groups are developing the next generation of Helicopter TAWS (HTAWS). These upgraded systems aim to enhance offshore safety and provide earlier warnings to flight crews operating in challenging environments.
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The helicopter was registered to Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26, 2020. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was registered to Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California.
Federal Aviation Administration records show that the helicopter was owned and operated by Island Express Holding Corp. The helicopter was previously owned by the state of Illinois, which sold it in an online auction in August 2015 for $515,161. The aircraft was then registered to Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California, in September 2015.
Island Express Holding Corp. is a company based in Van Nuys, California, that provides helicopter charter services. They are the registered owners of the helicopter that crashed, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others. The helicopter was a favourite of Mr. Bryant, who often commuted by helicopter during his playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had flown in the same helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B, for his final game in April 2016.
The S-76 type of helicopter has had a relatively strong safety record since it first flew in 1977. The -B variant was introduced in 1987, and the current model, the -D, was first announced in 2005. The S-76 was originally built for offshore oil and gas transportation but has since been used for corporate and executive transport, as well as air ambulance and search-and-rescue services. The helicopter that crashed was a luxury model widely used for VIP travel.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the crash and concluded that it was caused by continued VFR into IMC, meaning the helicopter entered low cloud cover, causing the pilot to lose orientation and control. The helicopter also lacked a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), a safety device that helps pilots avoid crashes in poor visibility. While TAWS is required on many fixed-wing aircraft and air ambulances, it is optional on other commercial helicopters.
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Kobe Bryant used helicopters to beat Los Angeles traffic
Kobe Bryant, the legendary basketball player, was known to use helicopters to get around. He started using them to beat the heavy traffic in Los Angeles so that he could spend more time with his family. In a chat with Alex Rodriguez for the former MLB player’s Barstool Sports podcast, Bryant said:
> I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic. [...] I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time. So that’s when I looked into helicopters, to be able to get down and back in 15 minutes and that’s when it started.
Bryant's use of helicopters became well-known, and he even used them to help teammates get to doctor appointments. He called his ride the "Mamba Chopper". The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter that Bryant used was owned and operated by a company called Island Express, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The helicopter was previously owned by the state of Illinois, which sold it in 2015 for $515,161 in an online auction.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the helicopter was owned by Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California.
The helicopter was previously owned by the state of Illinois.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was purchased for \$515,161 in an online auction.
Bryant used helicopters to beat Los Angeles traffic and spend more time with his family.
The Sikorsky S-76B was a favourite of Bryant's, but it is unclear if he used other helicopters.
