Kobe Bryant's Helicopter Had No Signs Of Engine Failure

Source: WENN/Cover / WENN

Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Didn’t Have Any Signs of Engine Failure

According to The Blast, the NTSB reportedly released its initial report into possible causes of the deadly crash that took Bryant’s life and they officially confirmed the chopper did not show any outward evidence of engine failure.

They came to this conclusion with a key piece of evidence of a tree branch near where the aircraft went down was cut, meaning it  appears the engines had not stopped working. In other words, the rotors were spinning at the time of impact.

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 and 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.”

It also said:

“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.

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.