The private helicopter carryingKobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others previously belonged to the state of Illinois.
Records show that the aircraft had been registered to Island Express Holding Corp. of Van Nuys, California since September 2015.
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A pilot who previously worked for Bryant also said the aircraft had a good safety record.
Ken Deetz, who flew Bryant between 2014-2016, told theLos Angeles Timesthat the helicopter model was a favorite among celebrities and known to be safe. The model’s strong record has been attributed to the fact that it has twin turbines, according toBusiness Insider.
Deetz noted that Island Express Helicopters followed a “very good maintenance program,” adding that during the time he flew Bryant, the “limo-esque” aircraft was in “fantastic” condition.
The pilot also said that the helicopter that crashed on Sunday was the same one Bryant took to attend the final game of his professional career in April 2016.
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In a December 2018 interview, Bryant said that he began relying on helicopters to travel around the Los Angeles metropolitan area so he couldspend more time with his four daughters, including Gianna,who was killed in Sunday’s crash.
“Traffic started getting really, really bad,” Bryant toldAlex Rodriguezduring a chat for the former MLB player’s Barstool Sports podcastThe Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat.
“I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic. … I had to figure out a way where I could still train and focus on the craft butstill not compromise family time,” he said at the time. “So that’s when I looked into helicopters, to be able to get down and back in 15 minutes and that’s when it started.”
source: people.com
