Harry How/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — The federal probe into the devastating helicopter crash that killed retired NBA star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others has investigators exploring why the pilot took flight in weather so foggy it had prompted local law enforcement agencies to ground its choppers.
An 18-member team from the National Transportation Safety Board, along with help from the FBI, continued on Monday to comb through the wreckage of the 1991 Sikorsky S-76 aircraft that slammed into a hillside on Sunday morning in Calabasas, Calif., killing everyone onboard and sending shockwaves across the globe.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant were among those who were instantly killed after the helicopter faded from radar just before 10 a.m. local time on Sunday. Reports of the crash into the steep hillside followed soon after.
The helicopter pilot, whose name has not been released, had begun to climb to 1,500 feet when the aircraft made an unusual and rapid descent just before it crashed, according to LiveATC.net, a website that provides a live-stream of flight tower transmissions.
Investigators had no immediate explanation for the aircraft’s rapid descent.
Members of the FBI were sent to the crash site and are assisting the NTSB with collecting and documenting the evidence.
Jennifer Homendy, a member of the NTSB board, said investigators will look into the history of the pilot and maintenance records of the helicopter. It was not immediately clear if the helicopter was equipped with a black box.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said that because of the difficult terrain at the crash site, it could take several days to complete the recovery.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department has asked the public to stay away, calling the scene a logistical nightmare.
The Los Angeles Police Department said that Sunday’s weather conditions did not meet its standards for flying — an 800-foot cloud cieling and 2 miles of visibility — at the time of the crash yesterday morning. The LAPD’s fleet was grounded at the time of the accident.
Other victims killed in the crash included John Altobelli, a local college baseball coach, as well as his wife, Kerri Altobelli, and his daughter, Alyssa Altobelli. Christina Mauser, an assistant girls basketball coach for a private school in Orange County, was also killed in the crash, her husband confirmed on Facebook.
The identities of three other victims remain unconfirmed until authorities can inform their families.
Bryant and the others who perished were flying from Orange County, where Bryant has a home in Newport Park, to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, a sports facility where the former LA Lakers’ star hosted basketball clinics. Bryant’s daughter’s basketball team was scheduled to play in the Mamba Cup, a youth basketball tournament that’s named after Bryant’s moniker.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in from all over the world. Bryant’s image was splashed across newspapers Monday morning as basketball fans and beyond begin to mourn the loss of the hoops legend.
Here is the front page of tomorrow’s paper and special section remembering Kobe Bryant: pic.twitter.com/FgRuABMZq4
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 27, 2020
Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant’s former LA Lakers teammate who won three consecutive NBA championships with him in 2000, 2001 and 2002, posted a picture of the two embracing, and said that “there are no words to express the pain I’m going through now with this tragic and sad moment.”
Another close friend and retired basketball star Dwayne Wade paid an emotional tribute to Bryant on Instagram.
Basketball legend and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets Michael Jordan issued a statement saying that Bryant “was like a little brother to me.”
Statement from Michael Jordan: pic.twitter.com/oI7w6e7HLI
— Estee Portnoy (@esteep) January 26, 2020
Bryant was drafted to the NBA out of high school in 1996 and spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships. He was awarded NBA MVP in 2008 and NBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010.
Bryant won gold medals as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Bryant’s career was marred, however, during a 2005 trial when he was accused of sexual assault by an employee at a Vail, Colorado, hotel. Bryant always denied the encounter was non-consensual and the case was later dismissed after the victim said she did not want to testify and the two parties settled a civil suit.
LeBron James surpassed Bryant on the all-time scoring list on Saturday during the Lakers’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I’m happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bean Bryant — one of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play, one of the all-time greatest Lakers,” James told reporters after the game. “The man got two jerseys hanging up in Staples Center. It’s just crazy.”
In 2018, Bryant won an Academy Award for his animated short “Dear Basketball,” which is based on a poem he wrote in 2015 when he announced his retirement.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.