THE helicopter company that operated the flight that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi took $603,838 in stimulus funding.
Island Express Helicopters is currently denying any responsibility for the January 26 death of the pair and seven others, seemingly blaming it on the Bryants instead.
The Payroll Support Program under the CARES Act authorizes coronavirus stimulus payments to help struggling companies keep paying employees.
Everyone who is eligible is expected to get one, provided they are making less than $75,000.
The company received the money on May 1 – however, news of the grant wasn’t made public until the Treasury Department updated its list of recipients on its website at some point over the weekend, according to Forbes.
Island Express had three previous accidents prior to the deadly January crash, according to National Transportation Safety Board records.
Two of those three incidents involved engine failure.
In Kobe’s case, the chopper had reportedly been flying at about 184 miles-per-hour in “blinding fog” when it plunged more than 1,000ft in about a minute, crashing in a fireball on a mountainside.
Kobe’s widow Vanessa filed a wrongful death suit against Island Express in LA in February, along with other families who lost loved ones in the crash.
TRAGIC VICTIMS
Along with Kobe, 41, Gianna, 13, and pilot Ara Zobayan, the victims of the crash were: 13-year-old Payton Chester, 46-year-old Sarah Chester, 14-year-old Alyssa Altobelli, 46-year-old Keri Altobelli, 56-year-old John Altobelli, and 38-year-old Christina Mauser.
All died of blunt force trauma.
In her court filing, Mrs Bryant alleges that Kobe was “killed as a direct result of the negligent conduct of [the pilot] for which Defendant Island Express Helicopters is vicariously liable in all respects.”
The firm and the pilot, Defendant Zobayan, were described as “wanton, willful, callous, reckless and depraved” in the court document.
It alleges the pilot had failed to get weather data, he didn’t stop the flight even when he learned of the cloudy conditions, and he failed to avoid “natural obstacles” in the flight path of the chopper.
Island Express reportedly responded in court papers by saying passengers knew the dangers and risks involved with the flight.
In its response to the lawsuit allegations, the company stated: “Kobe Bryant and GB [Gigi] had actual knowledge of all of the circumstances, particular dangers, and an appreciation of the risks involved and the magnitude thereof, and proceeded to encounter a known risk, and voluntarily assumed the risk of the accident, injury.”
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The luxury transportation company filing for government money is being seen as a slap in the face by many as their stimulus check is based on payroll expenses from April 2019 through September 2019, subject to proration, four months before the crash.
A total of $25billion is available for passenger air carriers with $4billion for cargo air carriers, and $3billion for contractors.
The list of recipients also includes major airlines such as United, Delta, American, Southwest and JetBlue.
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