Kobe Bryant among victims of Calabasas helicopter crash


What was first thought to be a small brush fire in the hills above Calabasas Sunday morning turned out to be something far worse. It was the wreckage of a Sikorsky S71 private helicopter that had crashed and claimed the lives of all passengers aboard, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant, 41.

The incident was reported to authorities just before 10 a.m. today.

“Apparently some folks were out mountain biking here this morning and saw an aircraft in distress,” Capt. Tony Imbrenda of the LA County Fire Department said.

There were no survivors, the captain said, and the cause of the crash isn’t known. Imbrenda wouldn’t say if the foggy early morning conditions played a role in the aircraft’s distress.

Multiple sheriff and fire department units were on the scene. Units from the National Transportation and Safety Board were en route as of 11 a.m.

This story will be updated