LOS ANGELES, Calif. (NBC) – Major news came Wednesday from the NTSB about the investigation into what caused Kobe Bryant’s helicopter to crash.
The helicopter involved did not have a critical piece of safety equipment that may have helped the pilot avoid the ridgeline that he slammed into.
Wednesday morning, the NTSB said the luxury helicopter was not equipped with critical safety technology: a terrain avoidance warning system, or “TAWS”
TAWS is common on commercial aircraft and for years, the NTSB has recommended it for all large passenger helicopters but the FAA hasn’t ordered the change.
Jennifer Homendy with the NTSB is leading the investigation. She explained, “Certainly, TAWS could have helped provide information to the pilot on what terrain the pilot was flying in.”
The chopper also didn’t have a black box or cockpit voice recorder that could’ve provided critical information about why the pilot crashed
The pilot, 50-year old Ara Zobayan, was a veteran aviator and instructor who was certified for both visual and instrument flight rules. Jacob Chambers was one of his students. Chambers said, “He was extremely safe all the time, safety first.”
As thick clouds and fog moved in Sunday morning, trouble came fast. Flight data indicates the chopper dropped 350 feet in just six seconds, making a quick left turn and accelerating, slamming into the hillside at 176 miles per hour.
The question now is: Did Zobayan become disoriented in the clouds, or was there a mechanical problem?
Homedy said the NTSB does not yet have any credible information that the helicopter was in distress before hitting the hill. But they’re ruling nothing out.
The FAA has required TAWS to be on medivac choppers but not on large passenger helicopter and it often comes down to a cost-benefit analysis. It can cost up to $40,000 to equip a chopper with TAWS.
The NTSB will continue the investigation as the families affected mourn those who were lost. Chief pilot Ara Zobayan flew Kobe and his family for years. Christina Mauser loved basketball, but not nearly as much as she loved her family. At the college where John Altobelli coached baseball, there was a moment of silence for him, his daughter Alyssa, and wife Keri. Many wondering what would have been Gianna Bryant’s legacy had she gone on to play for the University she loved. 13-year-old Payton Chester and her mother, Sarah, were also on the helicopter.
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