Feds to make decision on Kobe Bryant crash cause

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public meeting early next month to determine the probable cause of a helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others, the federal agency announced Wednesday.

The decision at a Feb. 9 NTSB meeting will come more than a year after a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in Calabasas and caught fire.

Those killed were the Lakers legend, his 13-yearold daughter Gianna, pilot Ara Zobayan, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, their daughter Alyssa, Mamba Academy basketball coach Christina Mauser, and mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester.

Under federal law, the NTBS is tasked with investigating and determining the probable cause of all civil aviation accidents in the United States. According to the agency, such investigations routinely take a year or more to complete.

A preliminary NTSB report released shortly after the Jan. 26, 2020 crash noted that the helicopter engine did not appear to have failed. The preliminary report did cite weather conditions the day of the crash, particularly reduced visibility because of thick fog.

Months later, investigators released 1,000-plus pages of documentation outlining reports and interview transcripts but not their final findings.

During the February meeting, NTSB staff will present its analysis regarding the helicopter crash to the agency’s five-member board. The board can adopt the staff findings and recommendations or craft its own.

Autopsy reports found no alcohol or drugs in the pilot’s system, and they show that all occupants of the helicopter sustained immediately fatal injuries in the crash. The group was traveling from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament outside of Los Angeles.

Bryant’s death led to countless tributes to the towering sports figure from public officials and fans. More than 300 murals honoring Bryant were painted across Southern California and even as far away as in France and in Abu Dhabi.

The deaths led to the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to consider new legislation regarding helicopter safety.

The crash also prompted numerous lawsuits.

Because of ongoing coronavirus restrictions, the NTSB meeting will be held remotely and webcast to the public. A link to the meeting is expected to be posted beforehand on the NTSB website: ntsb.windrosemedia.com.