Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. His second eldest daughter Gianna Maria was also killed, according to reports. He was 41. She was 13.
ABC reports nine passengers were on board when the chopper went down in Calabasas, California, including six additional passengers and the pilot. There were no survivors. TMZ confirmed that Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant — and their three other children — were not onboard.
Moments before the TMZ story broke, the Los Angeles Times reported a helicopter crashed into a hillside shortly before 10 am and burst into flames. TMZ later reported that the passengers were on their way to basketball practice at the Mamba Academy in nearby Thousand Oaks.
#BREAKING: Kobe's daughter Gianna Maria was also on board the helicopter and died in the crash https://t.co/1n7U8bvqhI
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2020
The Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances, a spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board told ABC News. The LA Times reports there were foggy conditions in the hills where the crash took place, and that the crash sparked a brush fire that made it difficult for firefighters and emergency personnel to get to the aircraft.
Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa and their three daughters Natalia and Bianca and Capri, who is only 7 months old.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.