The pilot in a horror helicopter crash which killed himself, Kobe Bryant and seven others tried to avoid a cloud layer before the fatal tragedy.
It had previously emerged that Ara Zobayan had requested air traffic control for assistance after setting off in heavy fog but was told he was too low for radar support.
Authorities have since revealed that around four minutes after that he advised them he was "climbing to avoid a cloud layer".
When air traffic control asked what he intended to do next there was no reply, Jennifer Homendy of the National Transportation Safety Board said.
The helicopter plummeted more than 300 metres into a hillside in Los Angeles, killing all nine people on board.
Radar indicated the craft reached a height of 701 meters before it plummeted and the wreckage was found at 331 meters.
Investigators are at the crash site and have recovered three bodies. Meanwhile forensics specialists are scouring the site, some with the assistance of drones, while they are also examining photographic evidence of the crash in order to determine more details of the circumstances.
Ms Homendy described the site as a "pretty devastating accident scene" as she spoke of fuselage and debris strewn around a crater formed by the impact.
LA County sheriff Alex Villanueva said the terrain of the hillside means it will likely take some time for all of the victims' bodies to be recovered, after which they will be officially identified.
Speaking yesterday, he said: "The coroner... started recovering human remains last night and they're continuing (that process) for the next several days.
"It's rugged terrain and it's a very steep hill. In fact, they had to bulldoze a road just to get a normal-size vehicle to the location, so it is very difficult."
The twin-engine Sikorsky S-76B took off from John Wayne Airport in the Orange County city of Santa Ana and was destined for a regional airport about 80 miles to the northwest in the coastal town of Camarillo, authorities said.
It crashed in the Santa Monica foothills on the outskirts of Calabasas, which are about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
NBA star Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine victims, which also included a husband and wife with their 13-year-old daughter, a mother and her 13-year-old daughter as well as a basketball coach, who was also a mother.
They were en route to a girl's basketball tournament at a sports academy, where Bryant was due to have coached his daughter's team that day.
Rafts of tributes have been paid to the victims, with Bryant's contribution to basketball honoured by sports fans the world over.
LeBron James penned an emotional message in the wake of the Lakers legend's death, vowing to continue his "legacy".
