Kobe Bryant has died

 
 
It happened so fast.

The pilot makes his last communication at the 33 second mark and he sounds calm so everything was normal at that point.

At the 1:03 mark, the helicopter goes off the radar.

It took only 30 seconds for things to go from normal to disastrous.
 
When he says “you’re too low”, he just means he cant pick him up on radar for flight following/traffic advisory service.

That being said, it’s looking like VFR flight into instrument conditions, controlled flight into terrain. If the pilot had filed an IFR (instrument) flight plan that would probably mean everyone is alive today.
 
The problem with filing the IFR flight plan is that there is no instrument approach to the sports academy they were traveling to... In that case it’s up to the pilot to say, ”this isn‘t safe, scrub the mission etc. We need to drive.”

I’m sure he had done this several times previously with no problems. Plus you have a millionaire celebrity you’re trying to please...the temptation to press it is undoubtedly tremendous.

It all just sucks.
 
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Foobio said:
The problem with filing the IFR flight plan is that there is no instrument approach to the sports academy they were traveling to... In that case it’s up to the pilot to say, ”this isn‘t safe, scrub the mission etc. We need to drive.”

I’m sure he had done this several times previously with no problems. Plus you have a millionaire celebrity you’re trying to please...the temptation to press it is undoubtably tremendous.
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Not saying this is what happened with Kobe, but, generally, this is what my helicopter-biz buddy advised. On those helicopter tours, it's local pilots that rely on tips and they're not gonna get one if they tell tourists sorry.

Furthermore, in places like Hawaii where it swings from heavy rain to sunshine in minutes, when those tours especially fly close to and around mountains/volcanoes, wind and visibility are especially volatile.

Unnecessary chances are taken.
 
Am I understanding things correctly? It was foggy and they probably had no clue they were going to hit a hill or mountain?

There’s so much info out there and you don’t know who is a good source on this stuff.
 


This guy is good, he’s an experienced pilot, usually my go to for accident summary videos. Check the first post in the comments from the Army instructor helo pilot.
 
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Whether it's pilot error or mechanical in nature, that helicopter company is getting their ass sued.
 
Foobio said:
When he says “you’re too low”, he just means he cant pick him up on radar for flight following/traffic advisory service.

That being said, it’s looking like VFR flight into instrument conditions, controlled flight into terrain. If the pilot had filed an IFR (instrument) flight plan that would probably mean everyone is alive today.
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Yep. I read that following an IFR flight plan could add up to an extra hour of travel time given the busy airspace around LA. Mainly because they'd have been placed in a queue and would have had to wait their turn. So I'm sure that probably played heavily into the pilot's decision.
 
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Sheik said:
Am I understanding things correctly? It was foggy and they probably had no clue they were going to hit a hill or mountain?

There’s so much info out there and you don’t know who is a good source on this stuff.
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That's the way I understand. The things I've been reading and watching point to the helicopter getting caught up in dense fog and ultimately flying in white-out conditions. They probably had no clue they were that close to the hills.
 
1bigfan13 said:
That's the way I understand. The things I've been reading and watching point to the helicopter getting caught up in dense fog and ultimately flying in white-out conditions. They probably had no clue they were that close to the hills.
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In a horrible situation like this, it feels weird saying it, but that would be a blessing.
 
Someone indicated to me today that this was Bryant’s helicopter and his pilot. Anyone else hear this?
 
L.T. Fan said:
Someone indicated to me today that this was Bryant’s helicopter and his pilot. Anyone else hear this?
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Yes, it's been reported he bought it a couple years ago and had a pilot on staff.
 
1bigfan13 said:
That's the way I understand. The things I've been reading and watching point to the helicopter getting caught up in dense fog and ultimately flying in white-out conditions. They probably had no clue they were that close to the hills.
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My biggest hope is that they never felt a thing. Imagine the horror if they knew they had hit the mountain and burned to death. I just hope to whatever is up in the sky that they just never knew what happened and went as peacefully as possible.
 
Iamtdg said:
My biggest hope is that they never felt a thing. Imagine the horror if they knew they had hit the mountain and burned to death. I just hope to whatever is up in the sky that they just never knew what happened and went as peacefully as possible.
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They're reporting that they impacted the hillside at about 170 MPH. At that speed I would assume they all died on impact.
 
1bigfan13 said:
They're reporting that they impacted the hillside at about 170 MPH. At that speed I would assume they all died on impact.
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As sad as it is to say, I hope so.
 
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