Kobe Investigation
Jan 29, 2020 07:32:35 #
It's a shame when someone dies in an accident like that, but it's even worse when not enough was done to prevent it. The NTSB has been recommending terrain avoidance systems and black boxes on all aircraft for years, but Kobe's chopper had neither. The first one could have prevented the crash, and the second could have provided answers as to why it crashed. It's like not having enough lifeboats on the Titanic. We change the laws after a disaster. Knowing what caused a crash can help to prevent future crashes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/lack-of-black-box-could-hinder-kobe-bryant-crash-investigation/2020/01/28/897be3fc-420a-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_first_reads&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/lack-of-black-box-could-hinder-kobe-bryant-crash-investigation/2020/01/28/897be3fc-420a-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_first_reads&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Jan 29, 2020 07:44:12 #
And considering the act that avoidance systems are incorporated in virtually all new automobiles today you would think retrofitting helicopters would be relatively easy and inexpensive. It’s also pretty standard on consumer and pro drones. Something needs to be done immediately.
Jan 29, 2020 07:45:08 #
OlinBost
Loc: Marietta, Ga.
From some of the information that has come out it sounds like a catastrophic mechanical malfunction.
Jan 29, 2020 07:49:01 #
And, or course, deciding not to fly visual flight rules in the fog in the first place would probably have prevented the accident.
Jan 29, 2020 08:02:09 #
mas24
Loc: Southern CA
OlinBost wrote:
From some of the information that has come out it sounds like a catastrophic mechanical malfunction.
Or, the pilot descended too quickly, to get visibility away from the fog/clouds, unaware he was on the side of the mountain. At a speed of 184 mph. The helicopter hit nose first. Totally smashing the helicopter. There was no way anyone could have survived. Kobe made an agreement with his wife, well beforehand, that they would never fly together on a helicopter. They didn't want to leave their kids, to be without any parents. Kobe's 13 year old daughter, had dreams of playing women's basketball at the University of Connecticut. One of the best women's basketball program. He had 5 years to coach her good enough to make the program. That dream will never happen now.
Jan 29, 2020 08:16:12 #
The pilot made some extraordinary poor decisions to fly VFR in foggy conditions. Even when I fly IFR through fog, it's very stressful until I clear the top of the layer.
Jan 29, 2020 08:19:30 #
As an old helicopter pilot and from the information I have read and heard, I’m coming down on “massive” pilot error. One of the people I heard, said he saw the helicopter pass near by and didn’t hear anything that would have indicated there was anything wrong with the helicopter. Given the facts that the pilot was instrument rated, he should have been open instrument and at least 500’ above the nearest obstacle.
Jan 29, 2020 08:20:04 #
I agree that having those safety features would have possibly saved the flight but you can't force people to purchase every safety feature someone can develop. It would be like forcing everyone to have self driving cars and if anyone had an accident without it you could say if they only listened. I think the most important thing is common sense, if you can't see, be it car or plane, don't move forward. This has been an real tragedy and like you said, we can only move forward and learn from the experience. I feel so sad for all the associated families and friends.
Jan 29, 2020 08:30:08 #
Something like this always reminds me of "the day the music died" - thinking more about flying in bad conditions.
Jan 29, 2020 08:31:54 #
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.
This was the apparent cause so far, a bad human decision.
Jan 29, 2020 08:35:44 #
Considering the weather conditions, Was this trip REALLY necessary? It is easy to Monday morning it though.
Jan 29, 2020 08:55:01 #
Jan 29, 2020 10:26:41 #
OlinBost wrote:
I had heard once or twice about a tail rotor malfunction but not much about it since. Seems they want to blame the accident on fog, pilot error, lack of safety equipment, etc.From some of the information that has come out it sounds like a catastrophic mechanical malfunction.
I'm not much of a spectator sports fan, especially basketball. We hear of tourist helicopters going down often. One crashed in the Hudson in NYC recently and another in Hawaii. As far as I'm concerned the only reason this one is getting so much notoriety is because it involved a world famous, super rich former basketball player. Every news program I've seen the last few days has spent a lot of time talking about Bryant, whether it's local or national. I'm sorry it happened but I'm getting a little tired of hearing about Kobe Bryant.
I'm sure I will get a lot of flack for this since there are so many people who worship their sports and entertainment personalities. I heard one person who was interviewed on TV refer to Bryant as a "god". Yeah, right.
Jan 29, 2020 10:41:30 #
At the speeds he was traveling at on impact a tail rotor failure wouldn’t have mattered unless it fell of throwing the whole aircraft out of balance. In fact the way you land with a tail rotor failure is to touchdown with enough speed into the wind to streamline the aircraft, then slowly roll the throttle off to counter the twisting action of the rotor system.
Jan 29, 2020 10:43:30 #
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.....
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.