local news has been less focused on Kobe as basketball star and more about the NTSB and other causes...
From what has been released so far there were a couple eyewitnesses who heard the crash. We also had LAPD and L.A. County sheriffs not flying their air patrol that morning due to weather. They released air traffic communication between the last air traffic tower at Van Nuys airport and the chopper. It's hear my house. From the looks of things with all that has been released so far, there are a few possible options.
1. they had technical trouble. witnesses say they saw the chopper struggling, disappear into the fog and then boom. There was no mayday or distress sos call from the chopper and the communications with the tower was solid.
2. they were in bad weather and crashed because of it. this is the most likely scenario. L.A. police and L.A. country sheriffs were both not flying their choppers that morning due to weather. Audio from the tower does not indicate any distress.
3. They were flying to low and while increasing altitude they hit the big hill. This also is likely. The tower at Van Nuys airport mentioned they are flying to low and eyewitness reports of the chopper struggling could easily be the flaps on the rotes out trying to give them maximum lift in little time which may be the sounds they heard. As they lifted, boom.
Anyway you slice it, it's sad, may all aboard r.i.p.