By Christina Maxouris, Holly Yan and Darran Simon
LOS ANGELES (CNN) — As investigators scour for clues in the helicopter crash that killed nine people, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the pilot’s last words with air traffic control illustrate a foggy scene in the sky.
Pilot Ara Zobayan said he was climbing to avoid a cloud layer, the National Transportation Safety Board said. But when air traffic control asked him what he planned to do, there was no response, NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy said.
Visibility was so low Sunday morning that the Los Angeles Police Department had decided to ground its helicopters that morning.
But it’s still not certain what caused the helicopter to crash, killing parents, children, and one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, were heading to a basketball game in Thousand Oaks, where he was expected to coach and she was expected to play.