On January 26, 2020, the world lost a legend when Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash. Together with Bryant, his daughter, Gianna was also one of the passengers to die in the crash, along with 7 others. It was one of the saddest days, as it was a horrific crash that should have never happened to anyone. As we near the third anniversary of Kobe‘s death, the autopsy report of the NBA icon has been released to the world.
The Black Mamba boarded the helicopter, a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B, together with John and Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa, Sarah Chester, and her daughter, Payton and Christina Mauser. Kobe was to coach Gianna’s basketball at a game that was held at Newbury Park. The Mamba Sports Academy organized the event.
How did Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash?
The reason for the helicopter crash was not disclosed to the world at first. It took a few months for investigators to gather enough evidence to determine what might have been the reason. According to USA Today, it looks like the pilot, Ara Zobayan, might have made an error on the day.
The helicopter traveled following the route of a Calabasas highway and maintained an altitude of 400-600 feet. “You just going to stay down low at that for all the way to Camarillo?” was what a traffic controller asked Zobayan on the radio. The latter replied saying yes and mentioned, “Low altitude.”
The helicopter flew into an area where the mountain’s terrains were high and dangerous for aerial vehicles to pass through at such low altitudes. Hence, Zaboyan said to the air traffic controller that he was going to fly higher up, above the clouds.
The reason for this was that visibility was low and not on the pilot’s side that morning. However, as the helicopter climbed up, it could not reach more than 1600 feet. It didn’t take long for Kobe and the rest to crash down into the hills below.
How did Kobe Bryant die?
The helicopter caught fire as it hit the terrain. This was one of the main reasons why the passengers did not survive. We can conclude that Kobe’s death was mainly due to the fatal injuries he sustained when the helicopter hit the ground. Let’s take a look at the autopsy report.
As the report mentions, Kobe faced multiple trauma injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen. Together with that, the report also mentions, “Evisceration of brain” and “Internal organs”.
In addition, as mentioned earlier, Kobe suffered surface burns to 30% of his body. More importantly, the skin from his head, chest, and abdomen were all burned. As these facts have been discovered, shows the hardships the NBA legend went through moments before his death. The way the former LA Lakers star died was something that should never happen to anyone, no matter the reason.
He was a legend to us all and still is even after his death. The tragedy that happened almost three years ago is an event that still haunts the world. Gianna, a 13-year-old girl, had a bright future in front of her. The way she also passed away is indigestible. However, the world might feel at ease when they know that Kobe Bryant was right by his daughter’s side in their last moments together in this world, where they left behind a glorious legacy.
