Weather conditions appear likely to come under the scrutiny of investigators probing the helicopter crash that killed former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others near Los Angeles on Sunday, when overcast skies and fog grounded other aircraft.
Gavino Garay has more.
The day that NBA superstar Kobe Bryant boarded a fateful helicopter flight with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others passengers, eyewitnesses recounted thick fog over the foothills where the chopper went down.
Forecasters reported low clouds and limited visibility, and other aircraft were grounded due to the weather.
Those conditions will likely come under scrutiny of investigators looking into why the Sikorsky S-76 owned by Bryant slammed into a steep hillside outside the town of Calabasas, California, on Sunday.
Both the LAPD and the L-A County Sheriff's Department told the L-A Times the fog was so bad it grounded their helicopter fleets.
Bryant's illustrious career began as an 18-year-old rookie who went on to play 20 years for the LA Lakers - 18 of them as an all-star - winning five NBA championships.
Bryant frequently travelled by helicopter.
He was on his way to a sports academy on Sunday in the nearby city of Thousand Oaks, where he was set to coach his daughter's basketball team in a youth tournament.
The memorial at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks was just one of many that quickly sprang up after the crash, as sports fans around the world began to mourn the loss of a legend.
One of Gianna's teammates, Alyssa Altobelli, and her parents were also on board, as well as other victims. Both the FAA and NTSB are on scene, but have so-far been tight lipped pending a thorough investigation.