Vanessa Bryant posts heartbreaking message about losing husband Kobe and daughter Gigi as she says her 'brain refuses to accept' they are gone
- Vanessa Bryant shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram about her late husband Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, on Monday
- Grieving mother said it's hard to wrap her brain around the loss of her loved ones
- The post comes two days after Vanessa shared a sweet video on Instagram of her baby girl, Capri, who is seven months old as she tried to stand up on her own
- In the video, baby Capri is seen learning to stand up with the help of her aunt
- Vanessa wrote: 'My Koko Bean. She looks just like my Gigi with her daddy's eyes'
- On Friday the NTSB released a preliminary report suggesting that the pilot was just seconds away from flying to safety before crashing on January 26
- Bryant, his daughter Gianna and nine others were killed in the helicopter crash
Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa, has posted a heartbreaking message about coping with the loss of the NBA legend and her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
The grieving mother shared a sweet video compilation of Bryant and Gianna during some of her games and practices.
'I’ve been reluctant to put my feelings into words. My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone. I can’t process both at the same time. It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me,' Vanessa wrote.
Vanessa, who married Bryant in 2001, continued: 'It feels wrong. Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn’t being able to have that opportunity?! I’m so mad. She had so much life to live.
'Then I realize I need to be strong and be here for my 3 daughters. Mad I’m not with Kobe and Gigi but thankful I’m here with Natalia, Bianka and Capri. I know what I’m feeling is normal. It’s part of the grieving process,' the mother-of-four added.
Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa, has posted a heartbreaking message about coping with the loss of the NBA legend and her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna
The grieving mother shared a sweet video compilation of Bryant and Gianna (left and right) during some of her games and practices
Vanessa (pictured L-R with Bryant, their daughter Natalia and Gianna) said she wanted to share her feelings and thoughts openly just in case 'there's anyone out there that’s experienced a loss like this'
Vanessa said she wanted to share her feelings and thoughts openly just in case 'there's anyone out there that’s experienced a loss like this'.
'God I wish they were here and this nightmare would be over. Praying for all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. Please continue to pray for all,' she said.
Over the weekend, Vanessa shared a sweet video of her seven-month-old baby girl, Capri.
The 37-year-old took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share her and Kobe's youngest daughter, attempting to stand on her own for the first time.
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Kobe's sister Sharia Washington can be seen providing support to Capri throughout the cute 30-second clip.
The heartwarming video came just a day after the NTSB released a preliminary report that suggested the pilot was just seconds away from flying the helicopter to safety and away from the unfavorable weather conditions.
Bryant's helicopter was just 100 feet and 12 seconds from clear skies before it crashed in thick fog, killing the basketball star, Gianna and seven others, according to federal investigators.
The report stated the aircraft was only 100 feet away from exiting the heavy cloud and emerging into better visibility.
Touching moment: Vanessa took to Instagram on Saturday to share a video of her seven-month-old daughter Capri attempting to stand on her own for the first time
In the intimate clip, Vanessa cheered on her infant daughter as her tiny legs tried with all their might to stand upright.
'Woo! Good job, Koko...tried it again, mama,' coaxed Bryant.
With a wide grin across her face, Capri successfully stood almost entirely on her own.
'My Koko Bean. She looks just like my Gigi with her daddy's eyes,' captioned Bryant whose comment section was flooded with support from her 11.3 million Instagram followers.
Since the crash, Vanessa has been comforted by the many tributes that have been paid to Kobe and Gianna according to People.
'Every memorial means something to her. Every memorial is important' one person said to the magazine.
'She's got people around her who are helping her: physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally,' the source told People.
'She has spent the last week surrounded by people who love her and want only the best for her. She's really being loved and cared for. And so are the girls.'
Vanessa and Kobe welcomed Capri into the world in June 2019.
Capri is the couple's fourth daughter. They also share Natalia, 21, and three-year-old Bianka.
The other people who lost their lives that day were pilot Ara Zobayan, baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, their daughter Alyssa, mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester and Mamba Academy basketball coach Christina Mauser.
On Friday, Bryant used her Instagram for a more somber purpose, as she shared an invitation to a public memorial for her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna.
Vanessa lost both her husband and their 13-year-old daughter in a helicopter crash that killed a total of nine people
Memorial: On Friday, Vanessa shared an invitation to a public memorial for Kobe and Gianna
Thoughtful details: The date of the memorial was a conscious choice, as two was Gianna's jersey number, 24 was Kobe's and 20 is the amount of years he was a Laker; Vanessa Bryant shared this photo of the entire Bryant family on Instagram
The image included 24 butterflies in purple and yellow, which are the colors of the Lakers, the basketball team Kobe played with for 20 years.
The event, which will take place February 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was already announced the day before.
The date was a conscious choice, as 2 was Gianna's jersey number, while 24 was Kobe's and 20 is the amount of years he was a Laker.
To pay further tribute to the sports legend's number, the invitation is also printed with 24 butterflies.
The event is scheduled for 10am as the Clippers play the Memphis Grizzlies later that evening.
According to TMZ, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and coach Doc Rivers had to sign off, as they technically have the arena rented for the day.
But it was an easy decision, given the solidarity for Kobe and his family, as well as the significance of the date.
Space might be an issue, as the Staples Center holds 20,000, compared to the 80,000 capacity of the Coliseum, which was another choice.
Fans honored Bryant outside of the Staples Center before the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers on January 31st
The memorial will be held at the Staples Center, but space might be an issue, as the Staples Center holds 20,000, compared to the 80,000 capacity of the Coliseum, which was another venue choice
The Staples Center was deemed the perfect location, as it was where the NBA player spent a majority of his monumental career
The jerseys worn by Bryant and Gianna were draped over the seats they last sat in at the Staples Center prior to the Lakers' NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Los Angeles on January 31st
When Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle's memorials were held at Staples, the surrounding blocks were closed off to anyone who didn't have a ticket.
But it seemed to be the most meaningful choice, as it's where Kobe played for the majority of his 20-year career with the Lakers.
The outside of the arena has served as somewhat of a makeshift memorial, where thousands of fans visited to pay their respects.
Vanessa has requested to receive some of the candles, basketballs, stuffed animals and other items left in tribute to Kobe and Gigi.
In addition to the upcoming memorial, the Lakers honored Bryant on their first game after his death in several ways.
The marquee outside the Staples Center read, 'Rest in peace Kobe and Gigi' when they played the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31.
Kobe Bryant's chopper was just 100 feet and 12 seconds away from making it through the thick fog and into clear skies when it crashed into a hill and killed everyone on board, NTSB report reveals
Kobe Bryant's helicopter was just 100 feet and 12 seconds from clear skies before it crashed in thick fog, killing the basketball star, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, according to federal investigators.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report Friday on the probe into the January 26 crash in Calabasas, California, which suggested that the pilot came very close to navigating the unfavorable weather conditions and steering the helicopter out the other side to safety.
It stated the aircraft was only 100 feet away from exiting the heavy cloud and emerging into better visibility.
'If you exit the bottom of the clouds at 4,000 feet per minute at that high speed, you've certainly lost control of the aircraft,' air safety consultant Kipp Lau said.
The National Transportation Safety Board released this image showing part of the wreckage from the fatal crash. The investigators said the helicopter was just 100 feet and 12 seconds from clear skies before it crashed in thick fog, killing all on board
Wreckage of the crash: The preliminary report released Friday suggested that the pilot came very close to navigating the unfavorable weather conditions and coming out the other side to safety
Lau said pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, could have steered the chopper out of the crowds 12 seconds later, based on it ascending at 500 feet per minute.
'Once you break out of the clouds it's clear. Everything lines up with the body,' Lau said.
'Now you have a real horizon.'
However, instead of holding off for the short time and continuing to increase altitude, Zobayan appears to have attempted a maneuver moving the aircraft up and forward to quickly clear the clouds, reported aviation expert Mike Sagely.
'When he went into the clouds, he had a full on emergency,' Sagely said.
The pilot then likely made a fatal left turn, sending the aircraft hurtling into the steep terrain at 180 mph.
Sagely said that turning during the pop-up maneuver is 'catastrophic . . . 80 to 90 percent of the time.'
The report also details the helicopter pilot's contacts with air traffic control in the lead up to the crash, which support these findings.
The pilot had flown under special conditions lower to the ground while it navigated bad weather, but appeared to be climbing immediately before the crash.
The report states: 'The SCT controller then asked the pilot his intentions, to which he replied he was climbing to 4,000 feet. There were no further transmissions.'
It notes that the helicopter climbed to 1,500 feet above the highway, before beginning a left turn towards its destination.
The report adds: 'Eight seconds later, the aircraft began descending and the left turn continued. The descent rate increased to over 4,000 feet per minute (fpm), ground speed reached 160 knots.'
Investigators stated that the helicopter did not show any signs of engine failure.
Picture from a security camera shows Kobe's helicopter flying into clouds in the moments leading up to the crash
Investigators believe that since a tree branch at the crash site was cut, it appears the engines were working and rotors turning at the time of impact.
Longtime Orange Coast College baseball coach, John Altobelli, 56, his wife Keri, 46; their daughter Alyssa, 13; Christina Mauser, 38, an assistant basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy; Sarah Chester, 45, and her daughter, Payton, 13, were all killed in the crash alongside Bryant, Gianna and Zobayan.
The victims' deaths have been ruled an accident by blunt trauma, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.
The helicopter's instrument panel was destroyed in the crash and most of the devices were displaced, the NTSB's investigative update revealed. The flight controls were broken and suffered fire damage.
Friday's report also offered details of the crash site.
'The wreckage was located in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountains, in a mountain bike park,' the report states.
Friday's report showed details of the impact site after the helicopter crashed into the hillside
The pilot had flown under special conditions lower to the ground while it navigated bad weather, but appeared to be climbing before the crash, as shown in this NTSB graphic
Flight controls were broken and suffered fire damage
'The impact site was on an approximate 34⁰ slope. The impact crater was 24 feet-by-15 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep.'
The report also details the account of a witness who saw the crash from the mountain.
It says: '[He] saw a blue and white helicopter emerge from the clouds passing from left to right directly to his left. He judged it to be moving fast, travelling on a forward and descending trajectory.
'It started to roll to the left such that he caught a glimpse of its belly. He observed it for 1 to 2 seconds, before it impacted terrain about 50 feet below his position.
Security camera images show the helicopter flying into clouds in the moments leading up to the crash.
The NTSB notes that the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, but it was not required to be.
Authorities said the area is still closed off to the public due to the hazardous materials such as debris, magnesium and other toxins in the ground following the January 26 crash. It will take some time to fully remove the substances from the area.
The official update comes as the manufacturer of the helicopter, Sikorsky, urged customers to install a critical warning system that was missing from Bryant's chopper.
Investigators revealed on Wednesday that the terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), which is designed to send a warning when a collision appears imminent, had not been installed on Bryant's helicopter.
The victims' deaths have been ruled an accident by blunt trauma, according to the Los Angeles County coroner
The route that the Helicopter took before it crashed
While Sikorsky regularly provides updates on technology updates, sources told TMZ that they are calling customers and making it a top priority following Bryant's death.
NTSB officials say it is too early to tell whether a TAWS on Bryant's Sikorsky helicopter could have prevented the crash.
But they think it should have been installed on the aircraft and they criticized federal regulators for not carrying out the NTSB's recommendation over a decade ago to mandate such equipment on helicopters with six or more passenger seats.
The warning system is required in medical helicopters but not in commercial ones like the one used by Bryant.
The death of the basketball star has highlighted the debate over the merits of the warning systems.
While the crash has led to calls for warning systems to be installed in more helicopters, regulators and pilots have since raised fears that the instrument can trigger too many alarms and prove distracting.
'Another warning system screaming at you isn't going to help,' Brian Alexander, a helicopter pilot and aviation lawyer, said.
'You don't want to inundate the pilot.'
National Transportation Safety Board officials say it is too early to tell whether a TAWS on Bryant's Sikorsky helicopter could have prevented the crash
The warning system is required in medical helicopters but not in commercial ones like the one used by Bryant
While some pilots believe TAWS is unnecessary and refer to its warnings as 'nuisance alarms', Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the NTSB, said there is 'no reasonable excuse' for the system not to be installed on all choppers.
'From a safety perspective, you want all the safety enhancements that are available,' he said. 'The trade-off is worth it.'
The NTSB recommended that the FFA require the system after a Sikorsky S-76A carrying workers to an offshore drilling ship, crashed in the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, Texas, killing all 10 people aboard in 2004.
A decade later, the FAA mandated such systems on air ambulances only.
FAA officials had questioned the value of such technology on helicopters, which tend to fly close to buildings and the ground and could trigger too many alarms.
Bill English, investigator in charge of the NTSB's Major Investigations Division, said it was not clear yet whether 'TAWS and this scenario are related to each other.'
The pilot was well-acquainted with the skies over Los Angeles and accustomed to flying Bryant and other celebrities.
The full investigation into the crash, including any role heavy fog played, isn't expected for at least a year.
The latest revelations from investigators come as Kobe's wife Vanessa took to Instagram on Friday to share an invitation to a public memorial for her late husband and daughter.
The image included 24 butterflies in purple and yellow, which are the colors of the Lakers, the basketball team Kobe played with for 20 years.
The event will take place February 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Fans gather at a memorial for Kobe Bryant in front of Staples Center
