Kobe Bryant death: LAPD says weather conditions were so bad at time of crash it grounded its own fleet
Hours after the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Police Department said the weather conditions on Sunday morning did not meet the minimum standards for flying, multiple outlets have reported.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman, Josh Rubenstein, told the LA Times that it had grounded its helicopters Sunday morning as a result of fog. They did not fly until the afternoon. "The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said.
In the meantime, there was also a report from the LA Times about the helicopter that crashed. According to Bryant's former pilot, Kurt Deetz, the helicopter, a 'Two Echo X-ray' — the Sikorsky S-76B — had a limo feel and boasted of a strong safety record. The site also reported that Deetz who flew Bryant from 2014-16 called its condition "fantastic". Island Express follows a “very good maintenance program,” he said. The helicopter was owned by Island Express, according to the pilot.
He added that Bryant favored the S-76B, Deetz said, which he compared to “a Cadillac, a limousine — it’s limo-esque.” The model is preferred by celebrities and known as comfortable and safe, he said. Its sister model, the S-76A, “is more like a work truck,” he said. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said it was a Sikorsky S-76 and it was not known what caused the crash.
Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with the Lakers as a prolific scorer with a sublime all-around game and a relentless competitive ethic. He held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Saturday night when the Lakers’ LeBron James passed him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, Bryant’s hometown.