Kobe Bryant's Helicopter Crash: No Signs Of Engine Failure, Destroyed By "Impact Forces and Fire"

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Kobe Bryant's deadly helicopter crash was not caused by engine failure, this according to NTBS investigators who just released the preliminary findings into the cause of the accident.

The NTSB has released its initial report into the possible cause of the deadly crash and has confirmed the chopper did not show any outward evidence of engine failure.

A key piece of evidence in the report revealed that Investigators believe that since a tree branch near where the aircraft went down was cut, it appears the engines had not stopped working. In other words, the rotors were spinning at the time of impact.

NTSB

Also, the NTSB says the private aircrafts instrument panel was destroyed in the crash and most of its devices were displaced. The flight controls were broken and suffered fire damage. The report said the helicopter was destroyed by “impact forces and fire.”

An NTSB press release said, "The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter collided with hilly terrain and was destroyed by impact forces and fire. The pilot and eight passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter operated by Island Express Helicopters Inc., was on an on-demand passenger visual flight rules flight from John Wayne-Orange County Airport, in Santa Ana, California, to Camarillo Airport, in Camarillo, California." press release said, "The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter collided with hilly terrain and was destroyed by impact forces and fire. The pilot and eight passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter operated by Island Express Helicopters Inc., was on an on-demand passenger visual flight rules flight from John Wayne-Orange County Airport, in Santa Ana, California, to Camarillo Airport, in Camarillo, California."

NTSB

It continued, "Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash," said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt. "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 complete report on the official cause of the crash is not expected for at least a year, but investigators did reveal they are looking into the heavy fog in the area as a key element in this case.

NTSB

A witness told the NTSB, the helicopter was flying forward and downward through the heavy fog before crashing into the hillside. The person said they saw the aircraft for 1-2 seconds before it slammed into the ground.

As we reported, the chopper was not equipped with technology to help the pilot through low flying, low visibility conditions and investigators confirmed they were flying using "only visual readings" in "extremely foggy conditions."

The nine victims of the deadly crash all died of "blunt force trauma" according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi, will be honored on February 24, 2020, at Staples Center. Kobe's wife, Vanessa, shared the invite on Instagram which indicted the date was special to the family. The #2 month for Gigi's basketball jersey number, #24 for Kobe's, and #20 the years he spent playing basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.