High-Energy Impact Crash Killed Bryant

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Published on January 29 2020 6:22 am
Last Updated on January 30 2020 6:24 am

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Tuesday that the helicopter that crashed carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others didn't have a recommended warning system that alerts the pilot if they're too close to the ground.

However, it's not clear it would have prevented the crash, because pilot Ara Zobayana may have lost control of the copter, which banked left as he was climbing out of the clouds in heavy fog and began a sudden 1,200-foot fall that lasted nearly a minute before the crash into a Calabasas, California, hillside.

The NTSB's Jennifer Homendy said, “This is a pretty steep descent at high speed. We know that this was a high-energy impact crash.”

An emotional Shaquille O'Neall remembered his former L.A. Lakers teammate through tears Tuesday night, saying at the start of TNT's pregame show that he never could have imagined anything like Bryant's death.

He said, "Listen, people are going to say take your time and get better, but this is going to be hard for me." O'Neal and Bryant helped the Lakers win three straight NBA championship from 2000 to 2002, but occasionally feuded during those years. However, they eventually mended their relationship, and Shaq said they texted frequently.