- An image captured on security footage show Kobe Bryant's helicopter vanishing into heavy fog moments before it crashed and killed everyone on board.
- It is likely the last image of the helicopter before it went down, killing Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others.
- The image became public Friday on the release of an National Transportation Safety Board report into the crash.
- The report presented evidence that the engine of the helicopter did not fail, bolstering the theory that the pilot crashed after becoming confused in poor visibility.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
This image shows Kobe Bryant's helicopter vanishing into heavy fog over Los Angeles, moments before it crashed and killed everyone on board.
It was taken by a security camera around one mile from the crash site in Calabasas, California. It was included in a National Transportation Safety Board report on the crash issued Friday.
It shows the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76B with the registration N72EX, barely visible in low cloud, close to the 101 highway.
The report did not give a precise time the image was taken. Given the speed of the helicopter at the time of the crash, said to have been as high as 180mph, it was likely taken within two minutes of the crash time of 9:45 a.m. on January 26.
Describing the image, the NTSB report said it was "a still frame from a security video obtained from a road maintenance yard adjacent to Moreau Road and Highway 101 depicting the helicopter proceeding westward along the highway and disappearing into the clouds."
The crash killed all nine people on board. Bryant was flying with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and six other passengers. The pilot's name was Ara Zobayan.
The Friday NTSB report concludes that there was no problem with the engine or rotors at the time of the crash. It said that physical evidence from the crash site suggested all the rotors were spinning as normal at the time of impact.
That new evidence appears to further bolster the theory that the poor visibility was mostly to blame for the crash.
- Read more:
- The helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe Bryant and 8 others was reportedly not certified to fly in poor visibility
- An official Kobe Bryant memorial looks likely on February 24 at Staples Center, where he once dominated for the Los Angeles Lakers
- Lakers fans paid tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant by leaving more than 1,300 basketballs outside the Staples Center
- The LA Lakers left 2 empty seats for Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and gave out 20,000 Bryant jerseys at the emotional first game since his death
Join the conversation about this story »
https://ift.tt/39bJi8O