Helicopter Carrying Kobe Made Climbing Turn Before Rapid Dive

The helicopter went down in Calabasas, which is about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Departing the airport in Orange County at 9:06 A.M. PT, the first 911 call reporting the crash was received at 9:47 A.M.

Audio reviewed by ESPN indicates that a few minutes before the crash, an air traffic controller told Zobayan that he was “still too low level for flight following,” meaning the helicopter was below the level at which it could be picked up by radar due to the area’s rough and hilly terrain.

The audio comes from recordings posted on LiveATC.net, which has partial audio of the communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers.

In additional recordings between Zobayan and air traffic controllers posted on the site, you can hear the pilot receiving guidance from controllers as he navigated what was reported to be dense morning fog. Take a listen for yourself in the audio clip below.