LOS ANGELES — Federal investigators say wreckage from the helicopter that crashed last month and killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others did not show any evidence of outward engine failure, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The helicopter crashed into a mountain outside Los Angeles. The NTSB is investigating the accident, including any role heavy fog played, and a final report isn’t expected for at least a year.
"Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash," said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt. "And we are confident that we will be able to determine its cause as well as any factors that contributed to it so we can make safety recommendations to prevent accidents like this from occurring again.”
The report said all significant components of the helicopter were found near the wreckage site. The helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder nor was it required to be for the accident flight.
A public memorial for Kobe Bryant and the eight others killed last month will be held Monday, February 24 at the Los Angeles Staples Center.
The date of the memorial, 2/24/20, carries heavy meaning to the Bryant family.
Number two was the jersey number for Gianna, and "24" was one of two jersey numbers used by the Lakers legend. The year, 20, even represents the number of years Kobe played for the Los Angeles Lakers.