Kobe Investigation
Jan 30, 2020 10:16:11 #
Jan 30, 2020 10:29:59 #
I flew with Air/see rescue for 3 years in the Rockie Mountains. We NEVER flew in fog. I recall one time some pilots wanted to when we knew almost the exact place an AF plane went down. But the decision was a smart NO. Flying in the mountains is often difficult and fog complicates flying.
Jan 30, 2020 10:54:06 #
sb wrote:
And, or course, deciding not to fly visual flight rules in the fog in the first place would probably have prevented the accident.
Jan 30, 2020 10:55:05 #
AirWalter
Loc: Tipp City, Ohio
EdJ0307 wrote:
I had heard once or twice about a tail rotor malfu... (show quote)
I wasn't a fan because I don't like pro basketball that much; but to look at the pictures of Kobe and his beautiful 13 year old Daughter and the thought of her looking at her Dad at the last moment and the thoughts that he probably had about her at the last moments of their life brought some tears to my eyes. You could see the love between them in those pictures of them together at other basketball games. He made some mistakes in his life, but we all do. He seemed like a really good Father. Now his other Daughters and his wife are without him in their lives. Kobe had so much to live for with his beautiful family. That is what is so tragic about losing all of them, not that he was famous.
Jan 30, 2020 12:21:29 #
sb wrote:
And, or course, deciding not to fly visual flight rules in the fog in the first place would probably have prevented the accident.
Every now and then us humans make really stupid choices. Why? who knows.
It is no less a vary sad day.
Jan 30, 2020 12:21:29 #
Jan 30, 2020 12:53:27 #
jerryc41 wrote:
It's a shame when someone dies in an accident like... (show quote)
Two people were responsible for that tragedy - Kobe for wanting to fly when others knew better and stayed grounded - the pilot for flying when others were grounded and without the instruments that would have made the flight safe. Some ego may have been the pilots problem.
Jan 30, 2020 13:07:09 #
Ruthlessrider wrote:
BTW I too am tired of hearing about Kobe, he was a good BB player, that’s all. With all the tragedies occurring around the world.....
Let's not belittle this millionaire athlete. He was good at throwing a ball through a hoop.
Jan 30, 2020 13:13:42 #
mas24
Loc: Southern CA
rmalarz wrote:
You forgot to mention Payne Stewart.
--Bob
--Bob
Yes, I did forget him. He was a multiple PGA golf champion.. And died in an airplane crash at age 42. One year younger than Kobe Bryant.
Jan 30, 2020 13:28:18 #
HamB wrote:
As the owner of the helicopter, Kobe bears some responsibility for the decision to fly in those conditions.
I don’t think Bryant owned the helicopter It’s registered to a company called Island Express Helicopters and Bryant rented it for the flight. In his playing days he used them often to commute from home to games and back. The decision to fly was basically made by the pilot who may not have even made Bryant and the other passengers aware of the weather conditions.
Jan 30, 2020 13:37:09 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter
Loc: Los Angeles
sb wrote:
And, or course, deciding not to fly visual flight rules in the fog in the first place would probably have prevented the accident.
He was not VFR; he was SVFR. Do you know the difference?
Jan 30, 2020 13:40:52 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter
Loc: Los Angeles
Harvey wrote:
Two people were responsible for that tragedy - Kobe for wanting to fly when others knew better and stayed grounded - the pilot for flying when others were grounded and without the instruments that would have made the flight safe. Some ego may have been the pilots problem.
Kobe was not responsible and it is, frankly, both dishonest and disgusting to blame him. Choppers routinely fly in IMC. From the evidence, it appears that if the pilot had gotten a pop-up IFR to Camarillo, the flight would have ended with a routine landing at KCMA.
Jan 30, 2020 13:43:16 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter
Loc: Los Angeles
jerryc41 wrote:
It's a shame when someone dies in an accident like... (show quote)
I was astonished to read that the copter lacked terrain-aware GPS or other well-proven TAWS.
Jan 30, 2020 13:47:12 #
Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:
I was astonished to read that the copter lacked terrain-aware GPS or other well-proven TAWS.
When it comes to flying I’m strictly a passenger but from what I’ve read this equipment is not required.
Jan 30, 2020 13:47:57 #
Amielee
Loc: Eastern Washington State
I am a fixed wing pilot and helicopters are very different animals. They can have special VFR because they can move forward very slowly and even hover. We cannot know how much pressure was put on the pilot to fly on that day, but when you hold yourself out as a professional pilot the pressure can be great. As a private pilot I can decide not to go, but if I were a professional I could very well be expected to go. It seems to me at this time that the pilot lost situational awareness and that is just a guess, it can and probably will change. He could have and maybe should have changed his flight plan from VFR to IFR, he was qualified to do so. The accident is a sad event and may or may not have been preventable. The rapid decent, 4000 feet per minute according to some accounts and the high speed 184 knots is concerning. The maximum cruising speed for that aircraft is 155 knots. Hopefully a cause can be determined.
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