Kobe Helicopter Tried To Climb To Avoid Clouds

CALABASAS, Calif. (AP) – A federal investigator says the pilot of the helicopter that crashed outside Los Angeles, killing Kobe Bryant and eight others, told air traffic controllers in his last message that he was climbing to avoid a cloud layer before the aircraft plunged more than 1,000 feet into a hillside. The helicopter crashed Sunday morning after requesting special permission to fly through heavy fog. Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board says investigators went to the scene Monday to collect evidence. She says the wreckage was scattered over a large area.