INVESTIGATION

Engine Failure Not to Blame for Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Crash: Investigators

Kobe Bryant, his daughter Giana, and seven others died in the tragic Jan. 26 crash in Calabasas, California.

The helicopter crash that killed basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others last month was not caused by engine failure, the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday. The deadly crash occurred on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California, as the group was flying to a basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy. The NTSB is now investigating the accident, which may have been caused by heavy fog. The impact was so powerful, investigators said, the helicopter’s instrument panel and other devices were thrown around the crash site, and the flight controls were broken and suffered fire damage. A final report is not expected to be completed until next year. The nine deaths have been ruled an accident due to blunt trauma, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.