After holding up the helicopter for other aircraft, they cleared the Sikorsky S-76 to proceed north along Interstate 5 through Burbank before turning … The chartered helicopter trip was not unusual for Bryant, who often flew from his Orange County home to avoid Los Angeles traffic. According to sources, Zobayan was his go-to pilot.

Bryant was with eight others in his private helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B, a model with a strong safety record and a reputation for serving as a reliable VIP and corporate transport.

The crash was a result of heavy fog similar to that one of the LA Lakers crash. 9:06 a.m. Emergency workers can be seen sifting through the smoldering wreckage of the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter in this grim photo from the scene of the crash in the hills of Calabasas.

Based upon the Sikorsky S-92 civilian helicopter, it is for all intents and purposes a "developmental" helicopter. The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter departs from John Wayne Airport bound for Camarillo Airport near Bryant’s academy. Basketball icon Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California.

The helicopter — a Sikorsky S-76 chopper built in 1991 with 4,716 flight hours — departed John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. PST on Sunday, Jan. 26, according to flight records. Unfortunately, the crash was so tragic that it claimed all the seven members that were on board. Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Timeline. ... NTSB investigator Carol Hogan examines wreckage Monday from a helicopter crash near ... which came while the Sikorsky S …

Forbes takes privacy seriously and is committed to transparency. He was 41. The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation identified the four men today who died on Thursday when a cargo helicopter destined for the White House fleet crashed on the company's airfield during a test flight. Sikorsky S-76 is a medium-sized helicopter that is mainly used for executive transportation and medical and rescue missions.