BUT INSTEAD IMPACTED THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEED.
TOM COSTELLO HAS LATE
DETAILS.
>> Reporter: TONIGHT
THE NTSB IS RELEASING
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN
BY PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND SECONDS BEFORE
THE FATAL CRASH OF LOW
CLOUD COVER, THEN THE
CHOPPER DISAPPEARING
INTO THE CLOUDS.
WHILE PILOT ZABIHIAN
WAS FLYING UNDER
STRICT RULES, HE
ADVISED CONTROLLERS HE
WAS CLIMBING UP
THROUGH THE CLOUDS TO
ESCAPE THEM.
THE CLOUD TOPS WERE AT
2,400 FEET.
HE ALMOST MADE IT.
THE CHOPPER REACHED
2,300 FEET FOR BANKING
INTO A HARD LEFT TURN
AND CRASHING AT 18 TO0
MILES PER HOUR.
>> THE LEFT BANK WHICH
IS INCREASING AND THE
DESCENT RATE MAY BE
INDICATORS OF SPATIAL
DISORIENTATION.
THAT’S WHAT THE
INVESTIGATORS ARE
GOING TO LOOK AT.
>> Reporter: A WITNESS
TOLD US HE HEARD THE
CHOPPER FLY RIGHT OVER
HIS HEAD AND THEN
CRASH INTO THE HILL.
>> I HEARD THE
HELICOPTER APPROACHING
AND I AM GOING WHAT IN
THE WORLD IS A
HELICOPTER FLYING,
BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW
MINIMUM.
>> Reporter: NOTHING
BUT CLOUD AND FOG?
>>> CORRECT.
>> Reporter: THE NTSB
TODAY SAYS THERE WAS
NO EVIDENCE OF A
MECHANICAL FAILURE.
THE HELICOPTER’S
ENGINES AND ROTOR
BLADES APPEAR TO HAVE
BEEN WORKING NORMALLY.
MEANWHILE, SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA IS
PREPARING TO REMEMBER
THE CRASH VICTIMS.
MONDAY JOHN, KERI AND
ALYSSA ALTOBELLI WILL
BE MEMORIALIZED AT
ANGELS STADIUM IN
ANAHEIM.
AND TODAY VANESSA
BRYANT ANNOUNCED A
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
FOR KOBE AND GIANNA TO
BE HELD IN THE HOUSE
THAT KOBE BUILT, THE
STAPLES CENTER IN LOS
ANGELES.
THE DATE FEBRUARY
24th.
2/24 FOR GIANNA AND
KOBE’S JERSEY NUMBERS.
>> TOM, I UNDERSTAND
THE PILOT WAS CLIMBING
TO GET THROUGH THE
CLOUDS.
UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT
RULES ISN’T THE POINT
TO STAY OUT OF THE
CLOUDS?
>> YEAH, AND HE WAS.
THE CLOUDS MOVED IN
VERY FAST.
HE WAS INSTRUMENT
FLIGHT RATED.
THE CHPER HAD
AUTOPILOT, BUT THE
HELICOPTER COMPANY WAS
NOT CERTIFIED TO FLY
ON INSTRUMENTS.
WHY DID HE STOP