Kobe Bryant’s former pilot disregarded the notion that the helicopter of the basketball legend met an engine failure that led to the tragic crash on Sunday morning.
In an interview with Kobe’s former pilot Kurt Deetz by Los Angeles Times, he said the helicopter and even the company owner have a good record when it comes to safety.
Deetz explained that “a catastrophic twin-engine failure on the aircraft just doesn’t happen”.
Kobe, daughter Gianna, and seven others were onboard a Sikorsky S-76B when the crash happened.
Deetz said the crash was likely the result of bad weather rather than a technical fault.
According to Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division spokesman Josh Rubenstein, the fog was severe on Sunday morning that they grounded its helicopters and didn’t fly until later in the afternoon.
The helicopter reportedly departed John Wayne Airport at 9.06 a.m. on Sunday and passed over Boyle Heights, near Dodger Stadium, and circled over Glendale during the flight.
The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the FBI are investigating the crash.
The helicopter manufacturer, Sikorsky, expressed its willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
