Too young, too full of promise. I know it’s stupid to complain about unfairness but I think it’s so unfair.
I don't think he was flying the helicopter People who are rich in LA use them ofter cause the traffic is so bad https://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash-sikorsky-s-76-2020-1 Bryant's use of the private helicopter became well known as the LA Lakers great used it to beat Los Angeles traffic and even help teammates get to doctor appointments. According to a GQ profile in 2010, Kobe would use the helicopter to fly from his home in Orange County to Lakers home games and elsewhere. Kobe reportedly took advantage of the helicopter to help stay fit for games: "But sexy as it might seem, Bryant says the helicopter is just another tool for maintaining his body. It's no different than his weights or his whirlpool tubs or his custom-made Nikes. Given his broken finger, his fragile knees, his sore back and achy feet, not to mention his chronic agita, Bryant can't sit in a car for two hours. The helicopter, therefore, ensures that he gets to Staples Center feeling fresh, that his body is warm and loose and fluid as mercury when he steps onto the court."
Not at all. It might be somewhat uncommon (at least in my experience), but anyone that desires an instrument rating in a helicopter can pursue one the same way they could in a fixed wing aircraft, which is much more common. But like @Gray_Jay said, if there’s any chance of encountering IMC conditions and you intend to fly, you need to be rated to do so and be current on your skills. I simply cannot understate how dangerous it is. There’s no greater general aviation hazard.
@Os Trigonum @Reeko I notice even in this thread you newbs don't even know how to use GOOGLE or most importantly READ https://apnews.com/98f3978b392cbd3d...Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow Bryant’s helicopter left Santa Ana shortly after 9 a.m. and circled for a time just east of Interstate 5, near Glendale. Air traffic controllers noted poor visibility around Burbank, just to the north, and Van Nuys, to the northwest. After holding up the helicopter for other aircraft, they cleared the Sikorsky S-76 to proceed north along Interstate 5 through Burbank before turning west to follow U.S Route 101, the Ventura Highway. Shortly after 9:40 a.m., the helicopter turned again, toward the southeast, and climbed to more than 2,000 feet above sea level. It then descended and crashed into the hillside at about 1,400 feet, according to data from Flightradar24. When it struck the ground, the helicopter was flying at about 160 knots (184 mph) and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute, the Flightradar24 data showed. At the time of the crash, the Los Angles County Sheriff’s Department had grounded its own helicopters because of the poor weather conditions. The impact scattered debris over an area about the size of a football field, Villanueva said.
You are correct. He was approved for SVFR had to remain in conditions. Unfortunately, going SVFR with terrain just isn't very smart. Its a sad day for sure, this could have been avoided. Here is the ATC recording,
What about the culture of the actual pilots? You don't think there are some egotistical cowboys out there drawn to flying small planes and helicopters, chauffeuring around rich people, who think they can outsmart the conditions? Double deadly when you consider they have the smallest margin of error.
I feel so empty right now and I hated the guy during his player years simply because he was a killer. Can't imagine how those close to him feel. I read his wife Vanessa found out about the news just like everyone else. Hope it's not true,
Must have just been reading some of these posts wrong. It seemed like some of the information being put out there made it seem like Kobe himself was flying the copter. The question that I have is this: if the pilot was experienced and the condition were not good for flying, what made the pilot still attempt to go through with it?
Depends, these issues are only factor in Part 91 operations (privately owned operations/personal) where isn't much structure compare to Part 135 (Charter/On Demand Ops) or Part 121 (Airline Ops) where is another layer of regulations that governs the training, dispatch, weather, alternate airport, fuel requirements. There are cowboys out there at every level unfortunately, just like there are great pilots at every level as well.
you aren't reading all the post look up a few and someone posted the actual communications with the air traffic controllers
In my honest opinion, this should have been a no-go type of day if they were relying on trying to go SVFR. It was hard IMC most of the day. I'm about to pull the local airport metars in the area here in a bit.
Hi, can you please explain in normal english? He was approved for what? I read all pilots' posts in this thread twice and I still don't understand what I am reading. The pilot didn't know how to fly on instruments is that it?
Yeah, it does feel so unfair, just like the randomness and hardheartedness of the universe. He wasn't eating taco bell every day. He wasn't shooting horse or something. He was just taking a ride in a supposedly safe mode of transport from point A to B and the pilot (probably) just wasn't skilled enough.
curiosity more than anything. If I’m reading correctly, you can be so spatially disoriented that you wouldn’t even know you’re spiraling and instead think maybe you’re going straight? Wouldn’t your body “feel” it - or is that feel all just a result of what you’re seeing effectively? In either case, the summary from what I gather: it was super foggy, like impossible to see with a low ceiling, the pilot had to rely on instruments, needed to be more up to speed in his training, perhaps was being pushed to make it somewhere on time anyway, likely got confused as the ceiling dropped even lower, likely didn’t trust his instruments, and ultimately effectively “flew” the copter into a mountain at great speed both forward and downward?
There's a lot of crossover and a few regulations tests aren't going to change that. I think you justify wreckless actions so you can keep the party going.
