Also on the flight was the Mambas’ assistant coach, 38-year-old Christina Mauser, whom the Bryants had gotten to know as a coach at Gianna’s private school in Corona del Mar. Two of them were accompanying Gianna and Bryant: Payton Chester, along with her mother, Sarah Chester and Alyssa Altobelli with her parents, Keri and John Altobelli.
He’d started Team Mamba with himself as coach and recruited a passel of eighth-grade girls from around Orange County to play with her. Since retiring in 2016 after 20 years in the NBA, Bryant had taken a serious interest in his 13-year-old daughter Gianna’s athletic development. The group was heading to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a travel-league basketball tournament. So he skipped writing down his backup plans, left critical risk factors unchecked, and hit Submit. The conditions still wouldn’t be great, and the route would take longer, but he could handle it.īut Bryant needed to get through, and Zobayan had an out. But if Zobayan stayed inland and east of downtown L.A., he could duck through a pass in the hills, cut across the San Fernando Valley, scoot over a low pass, and descend into Camarillo from the east. The direct route to Camarillo over the coast was awash in red, signifying that conditions were too crummy to fly. Zobayan showed Webb the weather map and told him that he had a plan. Per Los Angeles Lakers rules he could only fly on twin-engine helicopters, so they subcontracted his flights to Island Express. According to Patti Taylor, the operations manager at OC Helicopters, the company had a pre-existing relationship with Bryant and its own fleet of helicopters, but they were all single-engine.
Ric Webb, the owner of OC Helicopters, arrived at the terminal to help with the Bryant party’s boarding. The NTSB investigation, along with interviews, are the basis for this account of the day’s events. The aircraft was equipped for instrument flying, but according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s accident report, Island Express was only licensed to fly under visual flight rules, or VFR, meaning that the pilot had to be able to see the ground at all times. In addition to Bryant and the defendants, the witness list includes Sheriff Alex Villanueva, current and former law enforcement personnel, journalists – and a bartender who saw crash photos and the patron who complained to the sheriff’s department as alleged in the suit.Ĭatherine Gasol, Rob and Kristin Pelinka, and Kobe’s sister Sharia Washington are expected to testify regarding Bryant’s emotional distress, though these witnesses are not aware of Bryant seeing any photos published by the media or made available online, according to the document.The twin-engine Sikorsky S-76B that Zobayan would fly that day is regarded as one of the safest in the world. Lawyers plan to call at least 12 witnesses each and nearly 28 others may be called to testify by either side, according to the filing.
Kobe body found holding gigi after crash trial#
The trial is set for February 22 and lawyers estimate it will take about 15 days. In September 2020, Vanessa Bryant filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County in federal court seeking undisclosed damages, claiming civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress and violation of privacy. Kobe and Gianna Bryant were among nine people killed in the crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020. Skip Miller, partner of the Barondess Law Firm and outside counsel for the county, had no comment. Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, among 9 killed in a helicopter crash in California (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Kobe body found holding gigi after crash license#
NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 27: Gianna Bryant and her father, former NBA player Kobe Bryant, attend the WNBA All-Star Game 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Jin Las Vegas, Nevada.
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