Helikopterhavariet med Kobe Bryant - NTSB uttaler seg - Curt Lewis

Pilot in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash may have become disoriented in fog, federal investigators say

The pilot of a helicopter that crashed in the fog near Los Angeles in January, killing basketball legend Kobe Bryant, may have become disoriented and thought he was climbing instead of descending, according to documents released by federal investigators Wednesday.

Seconds before the crash that killed nine people, pilot Ara Zobayan told air traffic controllers that he was climbing to 4,000 feet. But the helicopter was actually descending toward a hillside near Calabasas, Calif., according to the documents from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The details contained in more than 1,700 pages of technical documents, text messages and interviews conducted by NTSB investigators are consistent with the general picture of what was known about the tragic final moments of a flight carrying Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others to the Mamba Sports Academy that Sunday morning, Jan. 26.

Kobe Bryant helicopter crash underscores industry's long-running safety struggles

The NTSB has not determined the cause of the crash, but the documents released Wednesday provide new details, many focusing on the role poor weather played in the tragedy.

Months into its investigation, the NTSB has been unable to determine whether Zobayan, 50, received a proper weather briefing before he flew into thick clouds ahead of the crash.

The investigators went to great lengths to establish how poor the visibility was and tried to determine what information Zobayan may have obtained about the weather before the flight.

The NTSB said one weather provider for pilots said the aircraft had "no contact" with the firm or its vendors on the day of the crash, or on the day before. An executive from a second company that makes a weather app used by Zobayan said the data indicates the pilot "really did not use our app extensively."

"There was no information available to address whether the accident pilot availed himself of weather information from other sources prior to the accident flight," according to the NTSB.

Text messages between Zobayan and people coordinating the flight show the weather was a topic of discussion, but that the pilot did not have any concerns that would prevent the flight.

Whitney Bagge, vice president of Island Express, the helicopter operator, told investigators that those involved in Bryant's trips, including his drivers, the pilot and representatives from the company that managed his flights, kept in regular contact via text messages. The Sunday flight was no different, Bagge said.

Remembering the nine victims in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

The weather was a topic of a text exchange the Saturday night before the flight, the documents show.

"Copy. Will advise on weather early morning Sunday," Zobayan texted. The next morning, he texted: "Morning Weather looking ok."

Using a company risk assessment form, Zobayan ranked the flight as low risk, meaning he didn't need extra approval from company managers, according to the NTSB files.

Garret Dalton, director of operations at Island Express, wrote in an email to an NTSB investigator that the company had previously been willing to cancel flights involving celebrities when the weather was bad, listing eight flights for David Burd, a comedian and rapper who performs as Lil Dicky, NBA star Kawhi Leonard, and the socialite Kylie Jenner. "I believe that it is a clear indication of the safety culture within the company," Dalton wrote.

Kobe Bryant's pilot received clearance to fly in poor weather before crash

A previous employer said Zobayan "was very reliable, he had a lot of integrity, and his fellow workers respected for him as a mentor," according to the NTSB documents. An FAA safety inspector told investigators that he found Island Express met "FAA standards." The company also had a dedicated safety officer. "Not every operator does that," the inspector told the NTSB.

The NTSB documents do not note any mechanical or maintenance problems that might have caused the crash.

Island Express provided charter flights for celebrities and transportation for tourists heading to Catalina Island off the Los Angeles coast.

Zobayan was Bryant's favorite pilot, according to the documents. To work for Bryant, pilots had to undergo special vetting and were closely scrutinized by their employer. One was removed from a special Bryant roster after needing to make an unscheduled stop for fuel; another was pulled "due to being disliked by the customer."

Zobayan was requested "almost exclusively," the documents say.

Lack of 'black box' could hinder Kobe Bryant crash investigation

Unlike in plane crashes, there is no "black box" to aid investigators in the crash probe since most helicopters are not required to have them.

But that could change. Earlier this month, a group of Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill that would require flight data and cockpit voice recorders as well as terrain awareness and warning systems on helicopters that carry six or more passengers. The helicopter on which Bryant was a passenger was not equipped with these systems.

The NTSB cited seven helicopter investigations between 2011 and 2017 in which the lack of access to recorded data impeded its ability to identify and address potential safety issues.