Kobe Bryant’s passing is still shocking to people around the world. He died in a helicopter crash on January 26th, alongside his daughter Gigi and seven others, including the pilot Ara Geroge Zobayan. At the time of the crash, it was incredibly foggy in California and it was believed that Zobayan was going 184 MPH before the accident. The families who have been affected by this tragedy are in the midst of suing Island Express, the company that owned the helicopter, for wrongful death.

It is believed that Island Express should have never let the helicopter leave that morning and that they were ultimately responsible for what happened. A representative for the pilot is now responding to the lawsuit, saying that it was the passengers who are actually at fault.

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“Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” the representative for Zobayan said.

The rep doesn’t give an example of what the passengers did to cause the accident, which just goes to show that these claims are pretty nefarious. Innocent people were lost that day and to blame the passengers for the accident is truly a shock to all of the families involved.

Stay tuned for updates on this story as it continues to develop.

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There have been a lot of details and even more questions surrounding the crash that claimed the lives of nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The death of Kobe has impacted far past just basketball and the city of Los Angeles. Fans across the world have been mourning the death of the Lakers legend. 

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The investigations surrounding the crash have revealed a few details surrounding what went wrong. Ara Zobayan, the pilot on the helicopter that day, was well-known among the celebrity network in Los Angeles. Kylie Jenner revealed that she flew on the helicopter and knew Zobayan well. It appears that Kawhi Leonard was also a frequent flyer on the helicopter. Reports emerged earlier today that he flew regularly on the chopper. 

"Yeah, flown with him a lot," Kawhi confirmed during an interview. "Great guy, super-nice. He was one of the best pilots, one of those guys that you ask for to fly you from city to city."

Kawhi also said that whenever he'd get picked up, Zobayan would always make a concerted effort to pass along friendly messages from Kobe. 

Kawhi also discussed whether this incident would impact whether he'd continue to fly on helicopters. At this point, with the lack of information that he has, Kawhi said that he didn't know whether that would be the case. Check the interview below. 

If you missed it, Ara Zobayan was the pilot of the helicopter crash that took the life of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 of their friends in Calabasas Sunday morning. He was an experienced flier and a certified flight instructor with over 8,000 hours of flight time. So it’s safe to say Kobe had no reason not to trust Ara.

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While Ara was Kobe’s go-to pilot over the last couple years, it turns out he was also Kawhi Leonard’s pilot as well according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

“Kawhi Leonard actually had the same pilot as Kobe Bryant. Ara Zobayan. That was Kawhi Leonard’s pilot as well,” he says in the clip (below).

The names of the nine people on board the Kobe Bryant-involved helicopter crash that took the lives of all passengers have been shared for days, the Los Angeles Coroner’s office has been diligently attempting to properly identify each person. An investigation has uncovered that fatalities included: Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant; John Altobelli, John’s wife Keri Altobelli, and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli; Sarah Chester and her 13-year-old daughter Payton Chester; basketball coach Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan.

According to a report made by KRON4 News, only four victims of the helicopter crash have been identified by fingerprints: Kobe Bryant, John Altobelli, Sarah Chester, and Ara Zobayan. The coroner’s office is doing its best to officially identify the remains of the other five passengers. There has been much speculation regarding the cause of the accident, and while fog has been a key source, it will be weeks, maybe even months, before definitive answers are given.

Vanessa Bryant has understandably made her Instagram private as she processes the most devastating time of her life, but the outpouring of prayers, love, and support for all victims and their families has been overwhelming in these first few days. News of the tragedy has caused many to reevaluate what they’ve deemed to be important, so hopefully, this unity and support will continue in the months and years to come.