Kobe Bryant’s helicopter didn’t have terrain warning system

The helicopter that crashed with Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others onboard did not have a terrain warning system that, experts say, has saved countless lives in the past, NBC News reports.

What’s going on: National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy told reporters this week that the helicopter that crashed with Kobe Bryant inside did not have a terrain awareness and warning system, which is called TAWS.

• TAWS “warns pilots when aircraft get too close to terrain,” according to NBC News.
• The NTSB recommended to the Federal Aviation Administration that it should require TAWS for all helicopters. The FAA declined.
• Homendy: “Certainly, TAWS could have helped.”

More details: As CNN reported, the helicopter that carried Bryant, his daughter and the other families lacked plenty of recommended features. And it was only 20 to 30 feet from clearing a hilltop, which would have avoided the crash, according to CNN.

• The helicopter reportedly lacked a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, which would have helped with the ongoing investigation, CNN reports.

What’s next: Homendy said an early report on what happened will drop in 10 days.

• Homendy (via CNN): “It’s not going to contain our findings, our analysis,” she said. “It’s not going to contain any safety recommendations or probable cause. But it’s going to provide some factual information — more than we have now.”
• It may take 12 to 18 months for a final report, KTLA reports.