Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash

[beyond_ban]

I thought this was pretty well said, sorry if you can embed twitter content i do not know how.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/sta...th-kobe-bryant

[roopi]

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I thought this was pretty well said, sorry if you can embed twitter content i do not know how.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/sta...th-kobe-bryant

[vengie]

Dang, yelling “Kobe” while throwing (and missing) things at the garbage can will never be the same.
What a tragedy

[jampack]

I was very shocked to learn this today and it was from my Apple News notification on my phone that I learnt what happened.. Kobe was my favourite player of all time. He was a legend, a true icon. He's really the one I look up to when I used to play basketball. His retirement was supposed to be just the start of another chapter. I'm also saddened that his daughter was with him, and has passed at a very young age. RIP to those who were with them also. Very sad day.

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Dang, yelling “Kobe” while throwing (and missing) things at the garbage can will never be the same.
What a tragedy

Even in CS:GO (or maybe any FPS games), when throwing an HE nade and getting a kill with it will also never be the same.

#8.24everKB

[shakalaka]

Goes to show how fickle life really is. Live everyday like its your last.

[ibeast]

RIP to a legend. I hated him growing up, but as I grew older and heard all the epic stories of his work ethic I came to respect and admire the hell out of him.

[mr2mike]

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Dang, yelling “Kobe” while throwing (and missing) things at the garbage can will never be the same.
What a tragedy

Keep the legacy and memory alive!

[JRSC00LUDE]

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Dang, yelling “Kobe” while throwing (and missing) things at the garbage can will never be the same.
What a tragedy

You can still follow Kobe's tips for successful livin':

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/32f4677...i4i3LAOBF.copy

[revelations]

There was a recording of the ATC comm posted on VASAviation - pilot was flying special VFR into IMC conditions. Marginal conditions. Pilot was flying below radar coverage at the later points.

For an executive helicopter, I am surprised they did not 3D moving maps on-board - this would have immediately alerted the pilot to their position with regards to the terrain.

The ship could have flown IFR but chose not to for whatever reasons. (IFR pilot(s) not available?)

[2Legit2Quit]

Sounds like it's pointing towards pilot error and foggy conditions.

This reddit post outlined a few details as to what could have happened:

No, as a helicopter pilot I can explain this.

The aircraft was flying VFR, which means not on instruments. Helicopters are allowed to fly during daylight in the type of airspace he was operating in from John Wayne to the crash site in 1/2 mile visibility and clear of clouds. This is predicated on the pilot determining he is in fact flying in at least 1/2 mile visibility and clear of clouds. This is not easily done, because it can be difficult to tell whether your projected flight path will keep you out of the clouds and clouds are a kind of fuzzy looking beast in front of you, or hopefully above you, and it can be very difficult to assure you aren’t going to fly into a cloud or an area of reduced visibility up ahead. This is why you shouldn’t play with fire; just land, at an airport preferably or street, park, etc.

The altitude read outs you see on these radar tracks are what the transponder reports which is Pressure Altitude, the height above the 29.92” Hg standard datum plane. This is essentially above sea level under yesterday’s conditions. So, if the altitude readout says 1,400’ you could actually be on the ground if the elevation where you are is 1,400’. What would be great is an Above Ground Level (AGL) readout, which can be determined by comparing the flight path with topographical maps.

I am a pilot who flies in Los Angeles and knows SoCal very well. I know the elevations throughout most of SoCal. This pilot was flying as low as 150’ at numerous times throughout this flight. This was done to “scud run” and get through to his destination. This is unacceptable and a very dangerous practice. He had multiple chances to end the flight by landing, somewhere. He kept pushing through, into rising terrain westbound towards Calabasas. If you have bad visibility and ceilings in the San Fernando Valley you are definitely going to have a much worse time in higher terrain.

It appears he flew into the clouds/fog shortly after. After realizing he was Inadvertent-Instrument Meteorological Conditions (I-IMC, or “cant see because he’s in a cloud”) he did the right thing by focusing on instruments instead, since he has no visual reference with the ground anymore. He actually began to do the right thing by climbing and starting a 180 degree turn. However, most helicopter pilots are not good at flying on instruments since we basically never do it after receiving the rating for the ability. There is a whole conversation of reasons why that is the case but is outside the scope of this comment. So the pilot likely developed Spatial Disorientation and lost control of the helicopter, which is indicated by the rapid descent in the last seconds of the flight.

As a helicopter pilot this absolutely enrages me. How someone could flaunt company policy, standard procedures, regulations and exhibit no shred of professionalism to keep everyone onboard safe is beyond me. He could have just landed at Van Nuys and they could get a car service the rest of the way. I have done this a BUNCH of times, is a little disappointing when you can’t make it to the destination but this was some of the worst conditions we’ve seen in a long while and in the end: what are you doing risking people’s lives to please them? Just. Fucking. Land.

[D'z Nutz]

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This reddit post outlined a few details as to what could have happened:

Source?

[2Legit2Quit]

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Source?

https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comm...es_an/ffqrhyf/

[revelations]

Apparently the pilot has been flying for 20 some years.

Its easy to blame the pilot here, but in reality (investigation will show) if the pax had anything to do with the decision to continue.

Some pilots cave in to pressure from elite clients, some pilots wont. Job security and rep is a big thing. Its a small world.

I've done scud running in the past with helicopter pilots, but this was in Northern SK. If we didnt like the Wx, we could simply land in a field.

[ExtraSlow]

The idea that it would be "pilot error" isn't surprising. Isn't that like 95% of all aircraft crashes?

[D'z Nutz]

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https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comm...es_an/ffqrhyf/

Thanks. I wanted to read some of the follow up questions that would have inevitably followed.

[Aleks]

The debris field looks fairy large (scattered), so that would mean it didn't simply come down straight and likely was moving forward as it impacted the terrain?

[botox]

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The debris field looks fairy large (scattered), so that would mean it didn't simply come down straight and likely was moving forward as it impacted the terrain?

Was travelling about 161 knots or close to 300km/hr when it crashed. RIP to all involved. Even as a non basket ball guy I knew how legendary he was.
https://www.tmz.com/2020/01/26/kobe-...-in-calabasas/

[95EagleAWD]

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The debris field looks fairy large (scattered), so that would mean it didn't simply come down straight and likely was moving forward as it impacted the terrain?

Which I’ve never understood about helicopters....

Now I’m a fixed wing pilot, but hopefully the heli pilot can chime in here; if you can’t see where you’re going very well... why don’t you SLOW DOWN? You’re in a machine that can fly backwards. Why go plowing into the fog at 160 knots?

[Buster]

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Which I’ve never understood about helicopters....

Now I’m a fixed wing pilot, but hopefully the heli pilot can chime in here; if you can’t see where you’re going very well... why don’t you SLOW DOWN? You’re in a machine that can fly backwards. Why go plowing into the fog at 160 knots?

The pilot was a moron. Now a dead moron.

[lilmira]

Getting disoriented sucks. Whenever I get whiteout on a hill I just want to lay down and call it a day. Please come and get me.