NTSB identifies helicopter in Kobe Bryant crash as Sikorsky S-76B
The aircraft involved in the January 2020 Calabasas crash has been identified as a Sikorsky S-76B, according to the NTSB.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 22, 2026, 6:15 p.m. ET
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Earlier reports
Aug 22, 2026, 6:15 p.m. ETFirst report
NTSB: Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Was Preventable; Pilot Disoriented
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded that the January 26, 2020, crash of a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter in Calabasas, California, was entirely preventable, according to kyma.com. The crash, which occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., killed all nine people on board, including former basketball star Kobe Bryant. The helicopter, operated by Island Express, was descending at the time of the accident.
The NTSB's final report, as reported by kyma.com, found that the pilot became disoriented in low visibility. The NTSB recommended that charter helicopter pilots receive more simulator and scenario-based training in spatial disorientation, and that turbine-powered helicopters be equipped with crash-resistant flight data, voice, and image recorders. The NTSB also noted that the helicopter had previously been fitted with a cockpit voice recorder that could have aided in the investigation, but it had been removed.
The aircraft, registered as N72EX, is listed in FAA registry records as a Sikorsky S-76B, serial number 760379, with the registered owner being Island Express Holding Corp. The owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight. The NTSB case number is DCA20MA059.
Weather observations at Van Nuys Airport, about 9.9 miles away, taken six minutes after the reported crash time, recorded calm winds, visibility of 2.5 statute miles, and an overcast ceiling at 1,300 feet. These conditions are not stated as a cause of the accident.
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Reference data
From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.
- Registration
- N72EX
- Type
- Sikorsky S-76 B — twin-engine turboprop helicopter
- Registered owner
- Island Express Holding CorpThe owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
- Terrain elevation
- 1,161 ft
- Nearest aerodrome
- 9.9 miles WSW of Van Nuys Airport (KVNY/VNY)
Sources
Revision history
- Version 122 Aug 2026, 22:22current
First published.
- Version 122 Aug 2026, 22:15current
First published.
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