Investigators Map The Crash Scene And Call For Witness Photos

Human error, mechanical failure and the weather are factors federal investigators are considering in the deadly helicopter crash that killed nine, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter.

"Our investigators began documenting the scene, collecting evidence, taking pictures and we had drones in the air to begin mapping the wreckage," National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said Monday.

She called the site a "devastating scene" and NTSB teams will be there for several days.

They've also called for witnesses to the crash with stills or video to contact them, saying those images will aid them as they determine what caused the Sikorsky 76B helicopter to slam into the Calabasas hillside Sunday morning.

NTSB officials also said Monday that the pilot, Ara Zaboyan, climbed sharply to avoid cloud cover shortly before the crash. They said after he told an air traffic controller he was climbing, the controller followed up asking what the pilot planned to do. But there was no response.

GO DEEPER:

• Kobe Bryant Crash: Federal Safety Inspector Says Pilot Climbed To Avoid Clouds Shortly Before Hitting Hillside