The pilot that flew the ill-fated helicopter that carried NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, was warned “you’re too low”, seconds before the chopper disappeared from radar.
Bryant, Gianna and seven others died, when the aircraft crashed into a hillside in southern California at about 9.45am on Sunday.
Los Angeles Police and the sheriff’s department had both grounded their helicopters in the morning because of the weather.
A police spokesman told the LA Times the conditions “did not meet our minimum standards for flying”.
The controllers mention poor visibility around the Burbank and Van Nuys areas, but the pilot spoke with controllers normally before communication suddenly went dead.
The Federal Aviation Authority said the aircraft was a Sikorsky S-76.
Bryant, 41, often used a helicopter to get to games at the Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers’ home arena.
