AmuralofKobeBryant,infullscream,inLosAngeles,whereheplayedhisentirecareer.PhotobyNewYorkTimes
ThehelicoptercarryingNBAlegendKobeBryantclimbedaround2,300feettoavoidacloudlayershortlybeforeittookaleftdescendingturnandcrashedintothesideofahill,officialssaidduringanewsconferenceMondayafternoon.
"Itwasaprettydevastatingaccidentscene,"saidJenniferHomendy,spokespersonfortheNationalTransportationSafetyBoard(NTSB),whichistakingtheleadintotheinvestigationofthehelicoptercrashthatkilledthe41-year-oldretiredLosAngelesLakersplayer,his13-year-olddaughter,Gianna,andsevenothersonboardSundaymorning.
Weather
Whileithasbeenreportedthatfoggyweatherplayedamajorroleinthecrash,officialssaidtheweatherisjustapartoftheinvestigation.Officialsarealsoconsideringhuman,mechanicalandenvironmentalfactors.
VisibilitywassopoorintheregionatthetimeoftheflightthattheLosAngelesPoliceDepartmentandtheLosAngelesCountySheriff'sDepartmentgroundedtheirhelicopters.
▲OfficialsremoveabodyfromthewreckageofthehelicoptercrashSundayinCalabasas.PhotobyLosAngelesTimes
Askedwhetherthepilotshouldhavebeenflyinginthefogatthetime,Homendysaid,"That'spartoftheinvestigation."
Localauthorities,theNTSBandtheFederalAviationAdministration,aswellastheFBI,areworkingtogethertodeterminethecauseforthecrash.ThehelicopterwasaSikorskyS-76B,builtin1991.
Flightpath
Bryantwasonhiswaytocoachthegirls'basketballgameSundayafternoon.Thecrashtookplacejustalittlebefore10amPTSunday.
TheaircraftdepartedfromJohnWayneAirportinOrangeCountyataround9:06am,localtime.ItheadednorthwestoverLosAngelesonitswaytoBryant'sMambaSportsAcademyinNewburyPark.
Itwasoriginallyflyingundervisualflightrules(VFR),butwhileflyingoverBurbankAirport,thepilotrequestedtoflyin"specialvisualflightrules",whichallowaircrafttoproceedthroughcontrolledairspaceatlessthanthebasicVFRminimumsof1,000feetceilingwith3milesvisibility,officialssaid.
Whilewaitingforapproval,theaircraftcircledforaround12minutes.Thepilotthenaskedfor"flightfollowing",whichisradarassistancefortheflightsthatallowsthemtoavoidtraffic.Hewastoldthattheaircraftwasflyingtoolowforthat.
Shortlyafterward,thepilottoldtheairtrafficcontrollerthehelicopterwasclimbingtoavoidthecloudlayer,butdidnotreplywhenaskedwhatheplannedtodo.Thelastradarcontactwasrecordedat9:45am,consistentwiththetimeoftheaccident.
BryantwasknowntousethehelicoptertoshuttlebetweenhisOrangeCountyhomeandtheStaplesCenterinLosAngelesforgames.
Lossofastar
Hundredsofthousandsoffansaroundtheworldhavebeengatheringatvariouslocations,includingtheStaplesCenterinLosAngeles,whereBryantplayed,aswellashisfavoriterestaurantandhischurch,topaytheirrespectsandtoseeksolace.
LesleyGerona,a28-year-oldnursewhowenttopaytributetoBryantatStaplesCenterwithherboyfriendonMondaysaidshewassittingathomewhenherfriendtoldheraboutBryant'spassing.Shesaidshewasindenialatfirstandbrokedowncryingwhenthetruthsankin.
"Kobehasbeenaverybigfigureinmychildhood.Growingup,mydadandmybrothergotmewatchingbasketball,andwatchingKobe.Hereallybroughtmyfamilytogether.He'smyidol,andaherotoeveryone.Hegoesbeyondbasketball,"shesaid.
IntheUSandaroundtheworld,politicians,celebritiesandBryant'sfellowathletesexpressedtheirsadnessatlosingtheiconicsportsfigure.
"KobeBryant,despitebeingoneofthetrulygreatbasketballplayersofalltime,wasjustgettingstartedinlife.Helovedhisfamilysomuch,andhadsuchstrongpassionforthefuture.Thelossofhisbeautifuldaughter,Gianna,makesthismomentevenmoredevastating,"USPresidentDonaldTrumpwroteonTwitter.
CuiTiankai,China'sambassadortotheUS,alsotooktosocialmediatoexpresshiscondolences.
"Saddenedbythetragiclossof#KobeBryant.Aninspirationformanyandalegendofhisgeneration,hewillalwaysberememberedforhiscontributiontotheworldofsportandto#ChinaUSpeople-to-peopleexchanges.Mydeepestcondolencestohisfamilyandothervictims,"theambassadorwrote.
Reporter:LiuYinmeng
Editor:JiaoJie
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