Federal investigators are just beginning their inquiry into the cause of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven other people Sunday morning in Calabasas.
The chopper appeared to slam into the hillside and burst into flames.
Several experts have said the weather will probably be a key part of the initial investigation.
The crash occurred as dense fog blanketed the area of the crash.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said the department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters Sunday morning because of foggy conditions and didn’t fly until the afternoon.
“The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said.
The fog “was enough that we were not flying,” he said. LAPD’s flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said. The department typically flies two helicopters when conditions allow — one in the San Fernando Valley and one in the L.A. Basin, he said.
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas. Authorities received a 911 call at 9:47 a.m., and firefighters arrived to find that the crash had ignited a quarter-acre brush fire in steep terrain, said L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. Responders included 56 fire personnel — firefighters, a helicopter with paramedics, hand crews — and sheriff’s deputies.
The National Transportation Safety Board was dispatching a “go team,” a squad of investigators that responds to major accidents across the country, said Christopher O’Neil, an agency spokesman.
The first team was expected to arrive at the scene of the crash Sunday evening, O’Neil said. Leading the investigation is Jennifer Homendy, an NTSB member who oversaw the investigation of a fire aboard the dive boat Conception, which killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island in September.
Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said weather conditions were poor in Van Nuys on Sunday morning — “not good at all.”
The crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues, he said. “The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he said.
Judging from a public record of the flight path and the wide debris field, Deetz said that it appears the helicopter was traveling very fast at the time of impact, about 160 mph. After a 40-minute flight, Deetz added, the craft would have had about 800 pounds of fuel on board. “That’s enough to start a pretty big fire,” he said.
Kobe Bryant’s death: Live updates and remembrance
Kobe Bryant, the NBA MVP who had a 20-year career with the Lakers, was killed Sunday when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas. His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board and died along with seven others.
Fans in China flock to get Kobe Bryant memorabilia
BEIJING — At the NBA store in Beijing, Kobe Bryant fans came looking to buy his gear.
A 23-year-old surnamed Li said he had hoped to get some Bryant shoes, but the store was sold out. He had watched Bryant play since he was about 6 years old and especially admired the superstar’s work ethic.
Bryant was incomparable, said Li, who would not give his first name. “There’s no No. 2,” he said. “There’s just Kobe.”
Huang Zhongze emerged from the store empty-handed. He and his father had been to several other stores and all were sold out of Bryant memorabilia.
At 14, Huang is too young to have followed Bryant playing live except for one season, but the Lakers legend remains his favorite player. Bryant’s attitude and the excellence of his playing, as well his can’t-lose attitude, were admirable, Huang said. And Bryant was also someone to look up to — a true leader, a “Da Ge,” or “big brother” in Chinese, he said.
Liu Chao, 21, was wearing a Lakers jacket as he entered the NBA store to see whether there was any Bryant memorabilia to purchase.
He followed the NBA mostly because of Bryant and hasn’t watched many games since the star retired, he said. He was shocked and saddened by the death. Bryant was one of a kind, he said, and had an independent attitude both on the court and in life.
Kobe Bryant’s helicopter was like his limousine and had a strong safety record, NBA star’s former pilot says
The helicopter that crashed Sunday morning in Calabasas, killing Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others on board, had the feel of a limousine and a strong safety record, said the basketball star’s former pilot.
Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters, told The Times he flew Bryant from 2014 to 2016. Nine times out of 10, he said, Bryant flew in “Two Echo X-ray” — the Sikorsky S-76B, tail No. N72EX, that went down Sunday morning. When Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, he flew out of downtown Los Angeles in the same helicopter, wrapped in a gray-and-black paint scheme with his Mamba emblem on the side, Deetz said.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said that the department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters Sunday morning because of foggy conditions and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon.
“The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying,” Rubenstein said.
The fog “was enough that we were not flying,” he said. LAPD’s flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said. The department typically flies two helicopters when conditions allow — one in the San Fernando Valley and one in the L.A. Basin, he said.
The LAPD Air Support Division is the largest municipal airborne law enforcement organization in the United States, according to the department.
The last time I sat down with Kobe Bryant was at his office in Costa Mesa before the regular-season opener between the Lakers and Clippers in October. He laughed when I asked him if he would be at the game.
I knew he wouldn’t be there. He had a more important game to attend that night.
He was going to be at a high school gym 40 miles away to watch his 16-year-old daughter, Natalia, play volleyball.
Actual Video of the Helicopter before they hit the ground:
