Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Investigation Update From NTSB Indicates No Evidence Of Engine Failure

A new report has just been released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), indicating the visible parts of the engine have shown “no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure” leading to the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his teenage daughter, Gianna.

Since the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, experts have been busy examining the wreckage to give some indication of the cause of the fatal crash. So far, many have laid blame on the foggy weather, which offered such poor visibility that law enforcement helicopters were grounded for safety reasons, as was previously reported by The Inquisitr.

The theory of bad weather conditions as the cause of the crash has just been strengthened after experts detailed in the new report that the helicopter engines were not faulty. In addition, investigators noted that the No. 2 engine first-stage compressor blades exhibited “tip curl in the direction opposite of rotation,” suggesting that they were fully operational and in use at the time of impact.

That said, the report noted that the engines would be examined further in a more detailed disassembly.

Analysts also wrote that the helicopter had “no outstanding airworthiness directives or minimum equipment list items, and all inspections were up to date.”

In addition to details about the condition of the helicopter, the report also gave a witness account and photograph of the crash.

The witness, who had been hiking nearby, told investigators that the weather was foggy and that low clouds had been obscuring the hilltops. The individual claimed that he heard the sound of a helicopter and finally saw it emerge from the clouds. He noted that the helicopter was moving incredibly fast and traveling on a “forward and descending trajectory.”

The witness also said that the helicopter rolled left so that he was able to see its belly for one to two seconds. The helicopter then reportedly impacted the ground, which was about 50 feet below the location of the witness.

The report included a picture taken by the individual, showing the helicopter engulfed in flames. It was taken around five minutes after the crash.

It is possible that the witness was one of the multiple 911 calls recently reported on by The Inquisitr.

“I just heard a helicopter go over me, approximately from Lost Hills Road on a south to easterly sweep. It went over my head, it’s thick in clouds, and then I heard a pop, and it immediately stopped… I can’t see it,” read a transcript in one of the 911 calls.