National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a new update on how Kobe Bryant’s helicopter “disappeared into the clouds” before crashing into a hillside.
The new update released included new photos of the Kobe Bryant’s helicopter in the air and the crash impact.
The heartbreaking photo which was taken from a security camera, showed the helicopter disappearing into thick fog, which was the final photo before the crash. A witness then shared a photo with the agency of the ball of fire that erupted when the Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas. The preliminary report on the crash is still pending
The witness told NTSB investigators that he heard the sound of the chopper getting closer, then saw it emerge from the clouds. The report states that the witness saw the helicopter roll onto its left so that the underside was visible. It then crashed into a ball of flames about 50 feet below him.
The update gave no indication of engine failure, as the engine was powering the rotors right up until the moment of impact, according to both an analysis of the crash site and statements from the crash’s witness.
The agency has asked for help from the public by sending in photos of the weather from the time and area of the crash, as poor visibility has been one of the main focuses of the investigation.
“Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash,” NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt said in a statement to the publication.
“And we are confident that we will be able to determine its cause as well as any factors that contributed to it so we can make safety recommendations to prevent accidents like this from occurring again.”
A full report on the crash from the NTSB could take up to a year before it’s released. Investigators will further look at weather conditions, the pilot and his company’s history, and any possible mechanical issues.
Kobe, Gianna, six others and the pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, were en route from Orange County to Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, CA for Gianna’s basketball tournament at the time the chopper went down. Their cause of deaths have been determined to have been from blunt force trauma from the crash, by the LA County Coroner’s Office. The manner of their sudden and tragic deaths was listed as an “accident.” 