Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

From what little has been given out I blame the pilot 100%.
He has charts showing terrain elevations and should have climbed a safe distance higher.
Going down in the clouds in rugged terrain is a receipe for disaster.
Why the pilot failed in such a basic airmanship task is beyond me.

1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA

YES!

ecblackiii Loc: Maryland

As a pilot rated to fly both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, I can tell you that the answers are simple. 1. The pilot should have used good judgment and not flown in the weather existing at the time. 2. The pilot was flying much too fast, as recorded by radar. 3. The pilot suddenly descended way too fast, probably because he lost sight of the ground and tried too aggressively to regain contact. The result, he flew into a hillside at high speed -- most likely because he was trying to please a celebrity passenger when he should have simply refused to fly.

Requiring terrain and traffic avoidance radar and black boxes on all aircraft adds a lot of unnecessary expense to the aircraft owner and does not prevent accidents in which the pilot ignores routine procedures regarding flying in low visibility conditions.

Dannj

As someone who’s knowledge of flying is limited to that of a passenger I’ll accept your technical explanation. I think it’s unfair, however, to assess the pilot’s motive. I’ve known several pilots, commercial, military and private and I’ve flown hundreds of times in many different types of aircraft. Assessing this particular pilot’s motivation as you do casts doubt on all pilot’s motives.
Additionally, this pilot had flown Bryant to events often and as such I don’t think the celebrity factor came into play. Of course neither of us can address this tragedy from fact with regards to that...and we’ll never know what really happened.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

There are two completely different systems talked about here.
The first "avoidance" system is for airplanes. When your rate of climb is smaller than the steepness of the hill ... it's pancake time. There's a lot of box canyons with a pancake at the end because of this.
A decent helicopter, with a decent pilot, shouldn't need this. A good front and downward seeing radar would have warned the pilot the same way as the avoidance system. If you believe the witnesses, that bird was maybe 30 to 40 feet above the ground.
At how fast? In the fog? Show offing?

But that still raises some old questions. Why no black box? Commercial aircraft should be required.
Why are pilots permitted- or even able- to turn off the transponders? Should be always on.
I know pilots. I'm related to a few. Where's the flight plan? Was he buzzing residential areas because he was lost? No GPS? Heck, WAZE could have helped him.

And why the big Kobe thang? Because it sells. It sells commercials. It sells market share. It sells shirts. it sells the selfies: "I never saw a game, and I know nothing about him. But I need to get attention, so I'll share about my grief and sadness. Did you see my Kobe Kandle?" And a lot of folk get to write off junkets with their mistresses etc to pay public homage out of the home town.

ecblackiii Loc: Maryland

I understand your viewpoint, but you have not had the training and experience needed to support such a viewpoint. There is an old saying among military pilots: "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots."

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

According to a helicopter pilot, he was at 3200 feet, then abruptly descended to 1085 feet where the crash happened. Curiosity seekers were climbing the side of the mountain to get to the crash site. They were intercepted before they got there, by Sheriff Deputies on horseback. They wanted souvenirs. Believe it or not.

Dannj

You’re right on about me not having the training but I did know a few military pilots whom I might put in the “bold” category. I guess I’m naive to think that not even one of the “bolds” would risk the lives of 8 people, not to mention his own, just to show off for a celebrity.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

As of yesterday, anyway, NTSB has said they do not know if the terrain avoidance system would have prevented the crash.....they actually implied it most likely wouldn’t have.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Exactly what I said.

Rick Bailey Loc: Fayetteville Arkansas

Must helicopters spend their days operating in the area where the terrain warning would be constantly gluing off. Black boxes, in this case, probably would not ktell us any more th n the radar plot. It looks a lot like loss of situational awareness and controlled flight into terrain. (25 year helicopter pilot, 25 years airplanes. Instructor pilot, Maintenance test pilot)

Eric2018 Loc: Los Angeles, CA, USA

I'm pretty sure that video has been debunked as a different helicopter, a different time, a different location, and different weather conditions.

ecar Loc: Oregon, USA

From all of the available information,

The Pilot was a very experienced, seasoned pilot, well versed in the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter. This worked against him.

They took off in clear weather at the John Wayne Airport, in Orange County/ Costa Mesa Calif and was heading off to the camarillo airport, about 45 miles NW to Calabasas near the Staples Center. The area they were to land was fogged in.

Now, the pilot was required to circle for about 15 minutes, in the fog/clouds, before landing due to heavy aviation traffic. If not for this, IMHO, the crash would not of happened. The pilot knew where he was suppose to go, but after all of the circling for approx. 15 minutes, lost his bearing in the fog/clouds.

The tower told him he was too low to be seen on radar, so he was going to go up to get his bearing. He missed clearing the crash site by 20-30 ft.

The last thing the pilot said to the tower before the crash was that he was climbing to avoid a cloud layer.

Everything else is elementary.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/us/kobe-bryant-crash-flight-certification.html

Norm W. Loc: Southern CA

It’s tragic when a crash like happened last Sunday occurs.
Every pilot is equipped with two terrain avoidance devices, they are called EYES. When the pilot places themselves in a situation where they can’t see what’s ahead visually or electronically the risk becomes very high.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

I see a lot of armchair pilots on here, and I don't mean the ones that are pilots with a lot of experience. It comes down to the fact that the pilot is the captain of his ship. He took too many chances considering the weather conditions and the fact that Police helicopters had been grounded. He should have refused to fly in those conditions considering the safety of his passengers and himself!