Sure thing. In aviation, there are specific rules for that a flight must operate on depending on the weather conditions. So some acronyms you are will probably see is VMC, VFR, SVFR, IMC, IFR, VMC - Stands for visual meteorological conditions = good weather, good visibility, pilots use can use outside visual cues to operate. IMC - Satnads for instrument meteorological conditions = bad weather, bad visibility, we pilots will have to rely on our instruments to operate VFR (Visual Flight Rules), MVFR (Marginal VFR), IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) are rules that aircraft and helicopters must operate under when the weather falls into a specific category. When an airport is reporting weather that has visibility greater 5 miles and ceilings (lowest solid cloud layer) greater than 3000 feet above ground level, the weather is considered VFR. When an airport is reporting weather that has visibility between 3-5 miles and ceilings between 1000-3000 above ground level, the weather is considered Marginal VFR. When flights are operating under Visual Flight Rules, pilots are required to remain clear of clouds by 3 miles horizontally, 500 feet below, or 1000 feet above. There are times that those requirements can be lowered to 1 mile clear of clouds, that's when pilots can request to use Special VFR hence what this helicopter pilot was doing. You can hear the different transmissions between ATC and pilot about requesting Special VFR and being told to remain VFR. This gets tricky when terrain starts to come into the picture. When the airport is reporting weather that has visibility less than 3 miles and ceilings lower than 1000 above ground level, then the airport is considered IFR. In order for a pilot to operate under IFR and IMC, they must have earned their instrument rating. In order to earn an instrument rating, pilots undergo instrument training where they are trained to operate an aircraft solely on their instruments. This is probably the toughest rating for a pilot to earn, this is probably the toughest skillset to maintain as well. Operating in IMC is no joke because it is the number one killer in general aviation. Hopefully, this makes sense.
This is what my thoughts keep coming back to. Their final moments. What was going through their minds and how much time they had between knowing they were going down and impact. I hope he got to hold his daughter one last time.
Thats a big part of why I hate flying... it just seems like a horrific way to die.... 30 seconds of absolutely horrifying terror as you know whats happening and there’s nothing you can do.
it sounds like it was all pretty sudden. Pilot going a little to fast, transitioned into a lower ceiling g while over terrain, got disoriented (as is apparently very very very easy to do when going from VFR to IFR), and effectively responded pooorly and flew the helicopter into the mountain (CFIT - controlled flight into terrain). Some speculation that it might have first hit terrain by clipping a mountain ridge, which caused the 4K fpm vertical downward speed. in either case, they likely had seconds at most. And given the speed it was likely pretty instantaneous deaths. if you think about it really... a good thing.
Thank you! Much appreciated. Now it makes sense. The pilot couldn't keep the distance from the clouds in the foggy weather and went too low in a hilly terrain, got disoriented and crashed.
RIP Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the other 7 persons who lost their lives today. The news of Kobe's passing has hit me harder than I thought it would. He certainly had flaws but he was an inspiration to millions of people all over the world. Unbelievably sad news.
Wow havent felt this upset since loosing my own Dad.. I'm not sure why. The fact that his daughter die also makes this so so much sadder. She didnt get the chance to do anything yet.. fall in love...get married...have a career... have kids...wow. Being a father of a little girl myself and the thought of holding her in my arms before we die... brings tears.
Exactly, it will be interesting to see the the NTSB report a year from now to see what experience and training background that the pilot had. Something is telling me that this guy wasn’t instrument rated or current. This was completely avoidable.... sad
So basically if we ever go into a helicopter demand the pilot to be instrument certified otherwise you are playing with fire.
I wouldn’t go to that extreme. If weather is sketch, (low visibility, thunderstorms, snow/freezing rain, crazy winds 30 mph or greater) you just have to ask yourself, do I really need to go?
You and other aviation experts give those that want to know thoroughly a better opportunity. Thank you so much...
It's such a shame because this guy seemed like he was going to accomplish so much more in life and impact so many more people than he has already had. Imagine the amount of lives he was going to have touched in the next 10 years had he gotten that opportunity.
Always hated Kobe and the Lakers but I respect his game. This is so sad. He was truly a great player. RIP Kobe
They went from everything being fine, to crash in less than 30 seconds. I don't know why this makes me feel so bad, I've felt absolutely sick to my stomach all day. Thinking about what was racing through everybody's mind as the helicopter was plummeting. Perhaps, Kobe was almost a superhuman person in my mind, Kobe was in the NBA before I was born, growing up he was larger then life, all the kids yelling Kobe every time we tried to throw something in the trash since elementary, every year I'd always be in aw of his christmas day and allstar performances, his shoes were always my favorites to wear. Kobe is 100% someone I expected to be an 80-year-old man waving at lakers fans in the staple center all wrinkly and grey like Bill Russell. His demeanor, how much success he has had, the Mamba mentality, I'm almost surprised he didn't somehow find a way to save himself and his daughter as ridiculously impossible as that would have been. So sad for his wife, daughters, family. The other little girl and her family. Imagine what his daughter Gigi making the WNBA would have done for that sport, I know I'd tune in to watch Kobe's daughter play. So unreal.
