So many drones and aircraft swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash, the FAA was forced to close the airspace

The crash killed Bryant and eight other passengers, including his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant .
News, rescue, and law enforcement helicopters are a common sight above incident scenes but the FAA told Business Insider that a large number of aircraft including drones operating around the crash site lead to the airspace closure.
Drones have been involved in numerous recent incidents involving aircraft and bystanders.
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Following the crash of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an airspace restriction for 5 nautical miles in every direction from the crash site, effectively closing the airspace above Calabasas, California.

The crash killed Bryant and eight other passengers , including his daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant .

The restriction, known as a temporary flight restriction, or TFR, was placed at 2:15 p.m. in Los Angeles, according to the FAA's website, shortly after the crash as news, rescue, and law enforcement helicopters flooded the scene.

While those types of helicopters frequently cohabitate when it comes to incidents such as these, a spokesperson for the FAA, however, told Business Insider that it decided to close the airspace, in part, due to the "significant number of aircraft, including drones, operating over the accident site."

The restriction extends five nautical miles in each direction from the site up to 5,000 feet above sea level.

While it's unclear how many drones were operating in the area, the devices have become commonplace in the skies for their civilian uses including aerial photography and videography.

Most drones feature cameras with video recording capabilities, enabling their operators to get closer to the crash scene that a normal helicopter would. The drones are lightweight, nimble, and don't produce the downdrafts of helicopters, making them favorable for filming.

Drones, however, have proven to be unreliable and potentially dangerous for nearby aircraft and bystanders on the ground. As the operator does not typically have a 360-degree point of view, preventing a crash with a nearby aircraft, of which at least five were in the vicinity of the crash according to data from FlightRadar24, becomes difficult.

Though mostly small and compact, drones can have a devastating effect on aircraft. Researchers from the FAA released a report stating that the harder materials found in drones often do the most damage.

In response to the potential threat, airports and airlines have been coming up with ways to detect and avoid drones, CNN reported. Lawmakers have even recommended mandating devices to be installed on drones so that they avoid sensitive airspace.

In 2018, drone sightings at Londons Gatwick Airport shut down operations, with aircraft not being allowed to take off or land at Londons second-largest airport for three days during the busy Christmas rush. Around 140,000 passengers were affected with police unable to effectively mitigate the situation, BBC reported.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Source: BBC News

Police were not able to find the operators and a similar scare occurred a few months later, BBC reported, with the same effect.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Source: BBC News

Drones potentially clashing with news helicopters is also a fear. A drone was sighted "a few feet above" a news helicopter in Washington in 2015, KOMO News reported. The FAA later told the news agency that it was received reports of similar incidents around 25 times per month at the time.

BusinessInsider USA Images

aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group/Getty

Source: KOMO News

A drone crashed into Seattles Space Needle in 2016, PCMag reported. The drone hit just feet from bystanders on the roof of the landmark, video acquired by GeekWire shows, rendering the craft immovable.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Elaine Thompson/AP

Sources: PCMag and GeekWire

The White House also had a drone incident as a government employee inadvertently lost control of a drone that then crashed on the South Lawn, the New York Times reported. It was the first time since former President Bill Clintons administration that an aircraft had crashed in front of the White House.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Secret Service

Source: New York Times

The restrictions on Calabasas airspace are scheduled to remain until the end of the month, though that can change depending on guidance from the FAA and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Reuters

So many drones and aircraft swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash, the FAA was forced to close the airspace

Police were not able to find the operators and a similar scare occurred a few months later, BBC reported, with the same effect.

Drones potentially clashing with news helicopters is also a fear. A drone was sighted "a few feet above" a news helicopter in Washington in 2015, KOMO News reported. The FAA later told the news agency that it was received reports of similar incidents around 25 times per month at the time.

A drone crashed into Seattles Space Needle in 2016, PCMag reported. The drone hit just feet from bystanders on the roof of the landmark, video acquired by GeekWire shows, rendering the craft immovable.

The restrictions on Calabasas airspace are scheduled to remain until the end of the month, though that can change depending on guidance from the FAA and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office.

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