The National Transportation Safety Board is moving closer to releasing preliminary findings in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. Officials said the chopper, which was flying using only visual readings, slammed into a hillside amid extremely foggy conditions. A Times data analysis tracked the final moments of the flight, finding the helicopter flew dangerously close to another hillside just before crashing. Radar data indicate Zobayan, who had been a licensed commercial helicopter pilot for 19 years, guided the copter to 2,300 feet and then began a left turn. The chopper hit the hillside at an elevation of 1,085 feet , about 20 to 30 feet below an outcropping.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 06, 2020 17:26 UTC