The National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that the helicopter carrying the late Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others crashed into a hillside with “high energy impact,” CNN reports.
What happened: Federal investigators said the helicopter descended quickly. It was likely all in one piece before it slammed into the hill.
- NTSB’s Jennifer Homendy told CNN: “The descent rate for the helicopter was over 2,000 feet a minute, so we know that this was a high energy impact crash. This is a pretty steep descent at high speed. So it wouldn’t be a normal landing speed.”
- The crash reportedly happened at 1,085 feet above sea level.
- The helicopter missed “the top of the hill by 20 to 30 feet,” according to CNN.
- Homendy said a preliminary report will likely come out in 10 days. A final report will take 12 to 18 months.
Details: The NTSB released details Tuesday about the final transmission from the helicopter, which included the pilot asking for permission to fly. As I wrote for the Deseret News, the pilot reportedly told traffic control he planned to fly higher into foggy clouds. The helicopter made a descending left turn. No other transmission was received from the pilot.
Context: Robert Ditchey, who is a veteran airplane pilot, told USA Today that the helicopter amid dangerous conditions.
- Ditchey: “The weather is not good enough for the police to fly. Why should Kobe do it?’’