Mega
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41, in a helicopter crash alongside eight other people. The crash occurred while he was traveling with his daughter, Gianna who also passed away, and others to a basketball game.
The world continues to mourn the NBA star and his daughter, with many paying tributes on the anniversary of his death, on his birthday, and on his daughter's birthday.
Four years later, a man attending a Comic-Con in China opted to wear a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, which has sparked outrage.
Kobe Bryant Passes Away Mega
On January 26, 2020, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant passed away alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
The National Transportation Safety Board (Ntsb) concluded that pilot error caused the crash, as he flew in foggy conditions and likely became disoriented. The crash shocked fans worldwide, with many tributes held, including a...
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41, in a helicopter crash alongside eight other people. The crash occurred while he was traveling with his daughter, Gianna who also passed away, and others to a basketball game.
The world continues to mourn the NBA star and his daughter, with many paying tributes on the anniversary of his death, on his birthday, and on his daughter's birthday.
Four years later, a man attending a Comic-Con in China opted to wear a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, which has sparked outrage.
Kobe Bryant Passes Away Mega
On January 26, 2020, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant passed away alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
The National Transportation Safety Board (Ntsb) concluded that pilot error caused the crash, as he flew in foggy conditions and likely became disoriented. The crash shocked fans worldwide, with many tributes held, including a...
- 6/4/2024
- by Kelly Coffey-Behrens
- The Blast
Vanessa Bryant has reached a settlement of $28.85 million with Los Angeles County over the leaked photos from the helicopter crash scene where her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna died. The settlement includes the $15 million a jury awarded Bryant back in August.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct. She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice,” Bryant’s lawyer Luis Li said in a statement.
Bryant sued the L.A. County months after the accident that killed her husband and daughter for taking photos of the crash site and sharing them.
“The gratuitous images soon became talked about within the department, as deputies displayed them to colleagues...
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct. She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice,” Bryant’s lawyer Luis Li said in a statement.
Bryant sued the L.A. County months after the accident that killed her husband and daughter for taking photos of the crash site and sharing them.
“The gratuitous images soon became talked about within the department, as deputies displayed them to colleagues...
- 3/1/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2020, Kobe Bryant's legendary Lakers career was behind him, the stats safely secured for his eventual inclusion in the NBA Hall of Fame, his two numbers retired, his five championship rings under lock and key. All that was squared away. But he was still coming into his own as a father of four daughters when he was killed in a helicopter crash. Compounding the tragedy, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant was with him, as were two of her youth basketball league teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, Alyssa's parents John and Keri Altobelli, and Payton's mom, Sarah Chester. All died, along with assistant coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan, and the...
- 6/20/2022
- E! Online
(Updated with more material) Vanessa Bryant has settled the wrongful death lawsuit she launched last year over the helicopter crash that killed her NBA legend husband and eldest daughter Gianna along with seven others in January 2020.
“The material terms of the settlement and releases are known to the settling parties and include that the terms of the settlement are confidential,” stated the filing today in Los Angeles Superior Court over the tragic matter that left the City of Angels and basketball fans everyone in deep mourning. “The settling parties are currently finalizing settlement documents, which include the necessary documentation for approving compromise of the minors’ claims,” the 7-page “Joint Notice of Settlement and Joint Request to Vacate Discovery Deadlines” said.
Still pending final paperwork to be present to the court, Bryant reached the settlement in concert with the three families whose loved ones were also killed in the horrific chopper...
“The material terms of the settlement and releases are known to the settling parties and include that the terms of the settlement are confidential,” stated the filing today in Los Angeles Superior Court over the tragic matter that left the City of Angels and basketball fans everyone in deep mourning. “The settling parties are currently finalizing settlement documents, which include the necessary documentation for approving compromise of the minors’ claims,” the 7-page “Joint Notice of Settlement and Joint Request to Vacate Discovery Deadlines” said.
Still pending final paperwork to be present to the court, Bryant reached the settlement in concert with the three families whose loved ones were also killed in the horrific chopper...
- 6/23/2021
- by Matt Grobar and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Investigators have shared their findings in the fatal helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others—including his teenage daughter Gianna Bryant. During a virtual meeting with the National Transportation Safety Board (Ntsb) on Feb. 9, investigators said that the pilot of the helicopter, Ara Zobayan, appeared to violate federal standards and is likely to have experienced "spatial disorientation" while flying through clouds on the foggy morning of Jan. 26, 2020. This disorientation, as described by Ntsb Chairman Robert Sumwalt at the hearing, is "the powerful, misleading sensations that can confuse a pilot conducting a visual flight who loses visual references, and...
- 2/9/2021
- E! Online
The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that the pilot of the helicopter that crashed while carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and six other passengers in January 2020, killing all aboard, may have illegally flown through a cloud and likely became disoriented just before the crash.
During a public board meeting to determine the probable cause of the fatal Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crash near Calabasas, CA just over a year ago, Ntsb chairman Robert Sumwalt said pilot Ara Zobayan was flying under visual flight rules, meaning he needed to be able to see where he was going.
Officials said Zobayan climbed sharply and nearly had broken through the clouds when the helicopter that was traveling from John Wayne airport in Santa Ana to Camarillo Airport banked abruptly and plunged into the hills below, killing all nine aboard instantly.
The NTSB over the summer had released reports indicating that Zobayan was disoriented by thick fog.
During a public board meeting to determine the probable cause of the fatal Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crash near Calabasas, CA just over a year ago, Ntsb chairman Robert Sumwalt said pilot Ara Zobayan was flying under visual flight rules, meaning he needed to be able to see where he was going.
Officials said Zobayan climbed sharply and nearly had broken through the clouds when the helicopter that was traveling from John Wayne airport in Santa Ana to Camarillo Airport banked abruptly and plunged into the hills below, killing all nine aboard instantly.
The NTSB over the summer had released reports indicating that Zobayan was disoriented by thick fog.
- 2/9/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood and sports stars alike are paying tribute to Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant. On Jan. 26, the one-year anniversary of the deaths of the Lakers legend and his daughter, celebrities and athletes took to social media to honor their legacies. One year ago, Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. along with seven others: John Altobelli, an Orange Coast College baseball coach; Keri Altobelli, his wife; Alyssa Altobelli, their daughter; Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy; Payton Chester, a player on the Academy's team, Sarah Chester, her mother; and Ara Zobayan, the pilot. In a post shared to Instagram, Alex Rodriguez...
- 1/26/2021
- E! Online
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill late Monday that would make it a misdemeanor for a first responder who responds to the scene of an accident or crime to take unauthorized photos of the deceased.
The bill was authored by State Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) in response to photos that surfaced after the helicopter crash that killed of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his teen daughter Gianna and seven others.
“Like many others, I was mortified after I’d heard that first responders captured and shared unauthorized photos from the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan,” said Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson. “The actions of the first responders involved were unacceptable, and they highlighted a problem that demands a strong remedy.”
The bill provides that remedy. It states that any...
The bill was authored by State Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) in response to photos that surfaced after the helicopter crash that killed of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his teen daughter Gianna and seven others.
“Like many others, I was mortified after I’d heard that first responders captured and shared unauthorized photos from the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan,” said Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson. “The actions of the first responders involved were unacceptable, and they highlighted a problem that demands a strong remedy.”
The bill provides that remedy. It states that any...
- 9/29/2020
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost nine months after Kobe Bryant, his 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven others perished in a helicopter crash, the basketball legend’s widow Tuesday hit the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with a scathing lawsuit over photographs taken by deputies at the accident site.
“The gratuitous images soon became talked about within the department, as deputies displayed them to colleagues in settings that had nothing to do with investigating the accident,” the complaint filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court says of the January 26 crash near Calabasas, CA. “One deputy even used his photos of the victims to try to impress a woman at a bar, bragging about how he had been at the crash site,” the filing continues, noting that a bartender who overheard the aforementioned bragging filed a complaint of his own with the department.
The department, Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and the county are named as defendants...
“The gratuitous images soon became talked about within the department, as deputies displayed them to colleagues in settings that had nothing to do with investigating the accident,” the complaint filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court says of the January 26 crash near Calabasas, CA. “One deputy even used his photos of the victims to try to impress a woman at a bar, bragging about how he had been at the crash site,” the filing continues, noting that a bartender who overheard the aforementioned bragging filed a complaint of his own with the department.
The department, Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and the county are named as defendants...
- 9/22/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The National Transportation Safety Board (Ntsb) released reports today indicating that the pilot of the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others became disoriented by thick fog.
Pilot Ara Zobayan was actually descending, but reported that he was climbing when the crash occurred, the Ntsb reports said. Zobayan, who died in the crash, said he was climbing to 4,000 feet to get above clouds, but instead crashed into a hillside, the reports, released Wednesday, said.
A final report on the cause of the crash will be issued later. However, today’s reports noted that Zobayan “misperceived” the pitch of his craft, a common pilot error.
Earlier this month, Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company and the successor in interest of the pilot. Her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash.
The lawsuit did not specify the amount of damages, but did note...
Pilot Ara Zobayan was actually descending, but reported that he was climbing when the crash occurred, the Ntsb reports said. Zobayan, who died in the crash, said he was climbing to 4,000 feet to get above clouds, but instead crashed into a hillside, the reports, released Wednesday, said.
A final report on the cause of the crash will be issued later. However, today’s reports noted that Zobayan “misperceived” the pitch of his craft, a common pilot error.
Earlier this month, Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company and the successor in interest of the pilot. Her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash.
The lawsuit did not specify the amount of damages, but did note...
- 6/18/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Vanessa Bryant is seeking extensive damages from Island Express Helicopters whose pilot, Ara Zobayan, was flying the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant when it crashed. Six other passengers along with Zobayan perished in the January 26 crash. On Monday, Bryant submitted a case summary to the Los Angeles Superior Court that details the […]
The post Vanessa Bryant Seeking Extensive Damages From Helicopter Company For Crash That Killed Kobe & Gianna Bryant appeared first on uInterview.
The post Vanessa Bryant Seeking Extensive Damages From Helicopter Company For Crash That Killed Kobe & Gianna Bryant appeared first on uInterview.
- 6/14/2020
- by Hannah Mallard
- Uinterview
Gianna and Kobe Bryant's autopsy reports are being released nearly 4-months after they perished in a helicopter crash. On Friday, May 15, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner released the coroner's report for all of the victims who died in the Jan. 26 crash. According to the documents, all of the passengers died of blunt trauma and the manner of death was accidental. The release of this information comes just days after Berge Zobayan, a personal representative for the late pilot Ara Zobayan claimed the victims' deaths were caused "in full or in part by the negligence or fault" of the plaintiffs and/or their...
- 5/15/2020
- E! Online
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner on Friday released its examination reports for the nine victims of the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
The coroner had certified two days after the crash that the cause of death for all nine was blunt trauma. It said the manner of death was “accident.”
The helicopter was taking its passengers to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy when it crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, CA on a morning that had been seeing heavy fog. There were no survivors.
The victims also included Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife Keri Altobelli; their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, CA; Payton Chester, a basketball teammate of Gianna’s; and her mother, Sarah Chester. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, also was killed.
A preliminary report...
The coroner had certified two days after the crash that the cause of death for all nine was blunt trauma. It said the manner of death was “accident.”
The helicopter was taking its passengers to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy when it crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, CA on a morning that had been seeing heavy fog. There were no survivors.
The victims also included Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife Keri Altobelli; their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, CA; Payton Chester, a basketball teammate of Gianna’s; and her mother, Sarah Chester. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, also was killed.
A preliminary report...
- 5/15/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
It's been almost three months since Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owned the helicopter that crashed while carrying Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and seven others. Now, a representative for the helicopter pilot has issued a response. Berge Zobayan, a personal representative for the late pilot Ara Zobayan, filed an answer with the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles on May 8. According to court documents obtained by E! News, Berge said the "answering defendant bears no responsibility" and alleged as one affirmative defense that any of the "injuries or damages" were caused "in full or in part by the negligence or fault" of the...
- 5/11/2020
- E! Online
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva admitted Monday he has known for weeks that deputies took photos of the crash site where Kobe Bryant and eight others were killed, and said he ordered department personnel to delete the images from their personal devices.
“That was my number one priority, to make sure those photos no longer exist,” Villanueva told NBC 4 Los Angeles. “We identified the deputies involved, they came to the station on their own and had admitted they had taken them and they had deleted them. And, we’re content that those involved did that.”
Villanueva told the TV station he learned the week of the crash that as many as eight deputies had taken or seen photos of the scene where the helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside on January 26. The sheriff said those involved included a trainee deputy assigned to the Lost Hills substation, located near the crash site.
“That was my number one priority, to make sure those photos no longer exist,” Villanueva told NBC 4 Los Angeles. “We identified the deputies involved, they came to the station on their own and had admitted they had taken them and they had deleted them. And, we’re content that those involved did that.”
Villanueva told the TV station he learned the week of the crash that as many as eight deputies had taken or seen photos of the scene where the helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside on January 26. The sheriff said those involved included a trainee deputy assigned to the Lost Hills substation, located near the crash site.
- 3/3/2020
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued a statement saying Sheriff Alex Villanueva is “deeply disturbed” by news reports that deputies snapped and passed around photos from last month’s helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.
“The Sheriff’s Department is aware of recent media reports alleging deputies shared images from the January 26th, 2020 helicopter crash, which tragically claimed the lives of nine people. The facts surrounding these allegations are currently under investigation, as are the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures,” the Lasd said in a statement Friday.
“The sheriff is deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act,” the department added.
The statement came shortly after the Los Angeles Times published a Friday story saying deputies shared “graphic” images from the crash site in Calabasas. The Times article cited two separate law enforcement sources, including one who told...
“The Sheriff’s Department is aware of recent media reports alleging deputies shared images from the January 26th, 2020 helicopter crash, which tragically claimed the lives of nine people. The facts surrounding these allegations are currently under investigation, as are the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures,” the Lasd said in a statement Friday.
“The sheriff is deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act,” the department added.
The statement came shortly after the Los Angeles Times published a Friday story saying deputies shared “graphic” images from the crash site in Calabasas. The Times article cited two separate law enforcement sources, including one who told...
- 3/1/2020
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
- 2/28/2020
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant‘s widow, is taking legal action less than a month after her husband and daughter were killed in a helicopter crash among seven others. Vanessa’s attorneys submitted a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters. The 72-page lawsuit accuses Ara Zobayan, the pilot of the helicopter that crashed, of failing to properly moniter and assess […]
The post Vanessa Bryant Files Lawsuit After Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Crash appeared first on uInterview.
The post Vanessa Bryant Files Lawsuit After Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Crash appeared first on uInterview.
- 2/25/2020
- by Paloma Thoen
- Uinterview
Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company that chartered the flight that crashed in January and killed the NBA legend, his daughter Gianna and seven others, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The suit names Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp. and the estate of the flight’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, who also died in the crash, as defendants. The 27-count suit reads, “Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased,...
The suit names Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp. and the estate of the flight’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, who also died in the crash, as defendants. The 27-count suit reads, “Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased,...
- 2/24/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Image Source: Getty / Frederic J. Brown
Vanessa Bryant gave a moving speech as she honored her husband, Kobe, and daughter Gianna during their public memorial service on Monday. As Vanessa took to the stage at the Los Angeles Staples Center, she struggled to hold back tears as she addressed the crowd. After receiving a round of applause of support, she began to share sweet anecdotes about her family members. She talked about how even though Gianna was a "daddy's girl" at heart, "she loved her mama" and was one of her best friends. She then went on to talk about Kobe, sharing what a great father and husband he was during their nearly 19-year marriage.
On Jan. 26, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash with seven other people - Ara Zobayan, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Keri, Alyssa, and John Altobelli - in Calabasas, CA.
Vanessa Bryant gave a moving speech as she honored her husband, Kobe, and daughter Gianna during their public memorial service on Monday. As Vanessa took to the stage at the Los Angeles Staples Center, she struggled to hold back tears as she addressed the crowd. After receiving a round of applause of support, she began to share sweet anecdotes about her family members. She talked about how even though Gianna was a "daddy's girl" at heart, "she loved her mama" and was one of her best friends. She then went on to talk about Kobe, sharing what a great father and husband he was during their nearly 19-year marriage.
On Jan. 26, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash with seven other people - Ara Zobayan, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Keri, Alyssa, and John Altobelli - in Calabasas, CA.
- 2/24/2020
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
As thousands gather in the Staples Center right now for Kobe Bryant’s official memorial and an opening song by Beyoncé, the basketball legend and Oscar winner’s widow is suing the company that owned the chopper that fatally crashed on January 26.
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions,” says the wrongful death and negligence complaint from Vanessa Bryant just filed in Los Angeles Superior Court this morning (read it here).
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects,” the jury seeking 27-claim document adds.
Along with the recently retired Los Angeles Laker star, his teen...
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions,” says the wrongful death and negligence complaint from Vanessa Bryant just filed in Los Angeles Superior Court this morning (read it here).
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects,” the jury seeking 27-claim document adds.
Along with the recently retired Los Angeles Laker star, his teen...
- 2/24/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters, the company that operated the helicopter that crashed last month, resulting in the deaths of husband Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant in late January.
The suit alleges that pilot Ara Zobayan was negligent and careless, and that that negligence directly caused the death of Bryant. All nine people aboard died in the crash.
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects,” said the 27-count lawsuit.
Amid extensive fog in the area, Bryant and his daughter were on Jan. 26 traveling to her basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, when the helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside.
The suit alleges that pilot Ara Zobayan was negligent and careless, and that that negligence directly caused the death of Bryant. All nine people aboard died in the crash.
“Defendant Island Express Helicopters’ breach of its duty and negligence caused the injuries and damages complained of herein and Plaintiffs’ deceased, Kobe Bryant, was killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects,” said the 27-count lawsuit.
Amid extensive fog in the area, Bryant and his daughter were on Jan. 26 traveling to her basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, when the helicopter crashed into a Calabasas hillside.
- 2/24/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
On the eve of the public memorial for Lakers great Kobe Bryant, new information has emerged about the helicopter pilot who manned the Jan. 26 crash that claimed nine lives.
Ara Zobayan, who flew the Bryant helicopter into a hillside last month also violated weather-related flight rules in 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration flagged Zobayan in May 2015 for ignoring an air traffic controller’s directive to avoid the Los Angeles International Airport’s airspace.
Records indicate Zobayan admitted the incident and took responsibility. The report also indicates that Zobayan frequently violated rules on weather-related flight.
The Bryant helicopter on Jan. 26 was reportedly 12 seconds and 100 feet from clearing the fog when it crashed in Calabasas. Nine people died, including Zobayan.
Ara Zobayan, who flew the Bryant helicopter into a hillside last month also violated weather-related flight rules in 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration flagged Zobayan in May 2015 for ignoring an air traffic controller’s directive to avoid the Los Angeles International Airport’s airspace.
Records indicate Zobayan admitted the incident and took responsibility. The report also indicates that Zobayan frequently violated rules on weather-related flight.
The Bryant helicopter on Jan. 26 was reportedly 12 seconds and 100 feet from clearing the fog when it crashed in Calabasas. Nine people died, including Zobayan.
- 2/23/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Jennifer Hudson turned in an emotional tribute to late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant Sunday at the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
The award-winning singer and actress sang the classic “For All We Know” just before the game got underway. As images of Bryant and his daughter Gianna played on a screen behind her, the Chicago native performed an impeccable version of the song.
Before taking center court, Hudson was introduced by basketball icon and businessman Magic Johnson, who told attendees he wanted everyone to “come together” to honor Bryant and former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died on New Year’s Day.
“We will never see another basketball player quite like Kobe,” Johnson said. “He was passionate about being a great father, husband, filmmaker.”
The audience briefly interrupted Johnson while chanting “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe.” Johnson then called for eight seconds of silence in honor of Bryant, who wore...
The award-winning singer and actress sang the classic “For All We Know” just before the game got underway. As images of Bryant and his daughter Gianna played on a screen behind her, the Chicago native performed an impeccable version of the song.
Before taking center court, Hudson was introduced by basketball icon and businessman Magic Johnson, who told attendees he wanted everyone to “come together” to honor Bryant and former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died on New Year’s Day.
“We will never see another basketball player quite like Kobe,” Johnson said. “He was passionate about being a great father, husband, filmmaker.”
The audience briefly interrupted Johnson while chanting “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe.” Johnson then called for eight seconds of silence in honor of Bryant, who wore...
- 2/17/2020
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Former President Barack Obama remembered Kobe Bryant and eight others killed in a helicopter crash during a speech at the NBA All-Star Weekend Newsmaker Brunch in Chicago.
“That loss is something that I know many are still grappling with,” Obama told attendees Saturday, adding, “particularly Kobe because he was with his daughter and those families, and those children.”
In a video posted on social media by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Obama noted that as a father he found the deaths of the children on the helicopter particularly “heartbreaking.”
“Those of us who have had the joy and privilege of being parents and taking kids to ballgames, and then rooting for our children, and seeing our dreams and hopes passed on to them. Nothing is more heartbreaking,” he said.
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It was a moving and emotional moment at the @nba All-Star Weekend Newsmaker Brunch when former President @barackobama spoke about Kobe Bryant.
“That loss is something that I know many are still grappling with,” Obama told attendees Saturday, adding, “particularly Kobe because he was with his daughter and those families, and those children.”
In a video posted on social media by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Obama noted that as a father he found the deaths of the children on the helicopter particularly “heartbreaking.”
“Those of us who have had the joy and privilege of being parents and taking kids to ballgames, and then rooting for our children, and seeing our dreams and hopes passed on to them. Nothing is more heartbreaking,” he said.
View this post on Instagram
It was a moving and emotional moment at the @nba All-Star Weekend Newsmaker Brunch when former President @barackobama spoke about Kobe Bryant.
- 2/15/2020
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Two weeks after his tragic and shocking death in a helicopter crash, Kobe Bryant has now been laid to rest alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, reports E! News.
A private funeral was held in Los Angeles this week and while it was only for friends and close family, a public memorial will take place on February 24th at the Staples Centre in downtown La, giving fans the chance to say goodbye to the NBA legend. Speaking about the upcoming event, Mayor Eric Garcetti had this to say:
“We are one city that believes in each other, believes in something bigger than ourselves. We will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.”
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A private funeral was held in Los Angeles this week and while it was only for friends and close family, a public memorial will take place on February 24th at the Staples Centre in downtown La, giving fans the chance to say goodbye to the NBA legend. Speaking about the upcoming event, Mayor Eric Garcetti had this to say:
“We are one city that believes in each other, believes in something bigger than ourselves. We will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.”
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- 2/13/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
The Academy Awards paid tribute to the actors, actresses, icons and industry stalwarts that have died in 2019 and earlier this year.
Steven Spielberg introduced the in memoriam segment of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, saying, “This evening, as we celebrate the artistic highlights of the past year, we also pause to remember those from our community who we lost. Legends and icons, our friends and fellow artists. All who inspired and touched us.”
“They have left an indelible imprint on our industry, our imaginations and our understanding of the world,” he said, before Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, launched...
Steven Spielberg introduced the in memoriam segment of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, saying, “This evening, as we celebrate the artistic highlights of the past year, we also pause to remember those from our community who we lost. Legends and icons, our friends and fellow artists. All who inspired and touched us.”
“They have left an indelible imprint on our industry, our imaginations and our understanding of the world,” he said, before Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, launched...
- 2/10/2020
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
3Rd Update, 12:30 Pm: The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others last month found no evidence of engine failure. Read the report here.
“Viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure,” the report states. “The No. 2 engine first-stage compressor blades exhibited tip curl in the direction opposite of rotation, consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact.”
The report is heavy with facts but offers no conclusions as to a cause of the accident. The Ntsb said on January 28 that a full report will take 12-18 months.
“Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of
evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash,” Ntsb Chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a statement. “And we are confident that we will be able to determine its cause as well...
“Viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure,” the report states. “The No. 2 engine first-stage compressor blades exhibited tip curl in the direction opposite of rotation, consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact.”
The report is heavy with facts but offers no conclusions as to a cause of the accident. The Ntsb said on January 28 that a full report will take 12-18 months.
“Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of
evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash,” Ntsb Chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a statement. “And we are confident that we will be able to determine its cause as well...
- 2/7/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
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