Anonymous wrote:I was really sad about Kobe Bryant’s death and it’s clear he was admired and loved by many and was a great dad. But I don’t really understand all this talk about him and his wife’s amazing love story. He cheated left and right and they were on the brink of divorce. I could understand if he cheated once and spent the rest of the time repenting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference in the weather on that day and other days was materially, not marginally, different. Talk to some pilots from the area before you pontificate. Further evidence is that the pilot filed a flight plan, it was rejected, and then he went back to appeal with modifications. That is not a normal sequence of events for them … The point is that there was pressure on the pilot to take them up. I am sure the pilot's ego was involved but it was also the desire to please Kobe. They should not have been flying. Then once they were in the air they were given options to land but chose to muster on. A really bad set of choices and, in this case, the customer was wrong!

I know the conditions in the area quite well, thank you.

You’re right that this was pushing the limits. It’s just that marine layers in LA area happen a lot and this kind of flight plan happens a LOT more than one might think. Most pilots survive. This one did not.

We’ll see what NTSB says in about a year or so. My prediction is on record: cause was IIMC, and pressure to get there from the customer, implicit or not. I’ll also predict not too much changes from the FAA. They could try to enforce much stricter rules on who gets to fly if IMC threatens, but there’s no good way to do that without incurring heavy costs and forcing down a LOT of flights. About the only thing they could do is make all helo pilots in the area practice IIMC in the sim much much harder. Again that would be a big change in pilot training requirements and very expensive.

Let’s see what NTSB and FAA say in the future. For now barring those reports I’ll step away. Sad situation for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was really sad about Kobe Bryant’s death and it’s clear he was admired and loved by many and was a great dad. But I don’t really understand all this talk about him and his wife’s amazing love story. He cheated left and right and they were on the brink of divorce. I could understand if he cheated once and spent the rest of the time repenting.

I assume he cheated a bunch, but they had 2 little kids... including a just-older-than newborn. What makes you think they were on the brink of divorce? Seems unlikely to me.

Anonymous wrote:I was really sad about Kobe Bryant’s death and it’s clear he was admired and loved by many and was a great dad. But I don’t really understand all this talk about him and his wife’s amazing love story. He cheated left and right and they were on the brink of divorce. I could understand if he cheated once and spent the rest of the time repenting.

Anonymous wrote:The difference in the weather on that day and other days was materially, not marginally, different. Talk to some pilots from the area before you pontificate. Further evidence is that the pilot filed a flight plan, it was rejected, and then he went back to appeal with modifications. That is not a normal sequence of events for them … The point is that there was pressure on the pilot to take them up. I am sure the pilot's ego was involved but it was also the desire to please Kobe. They should not have been flying. Then once they were in the air they were given options to land but chose to muster on. A really bad set of choices and, in this case, the customer was wrong!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to interrupt with helicopter stuff but this podcast interview is fascinating:

Legendary LA Helicopter Pilot Zoey Tur on Kobe Bryant's Final Flight
https://www.siriusxm.com/clips/clip/a9914a41-78d6-4402-8150-b8f14a44945b/8d2d5a4d-139b-4628-9ebf-baa173d32c7d

Can you do a summary for those of us without sirius xm?

Pilot is the one who flew the footer of OJ as he drove down the highway in the Bronco.
About Kobe’s pilot: crash was due to pilot error, inadvertent VFR instrument conditions. Bad weather + firey crash = indicates speeding [upward] helicopter as it crashed down into the [hidden] hillside.

Yes the pilot was flying under visual flight rules, and due to low clouds, he went into the cloud. Then, he most likely got disoriented, flipped the helicopter almost upside down, and it flew directly into the ground.

It’s very easy to lose control of a helicopter when flying into a cloud, even for experienced pilots. He probably was feeling pressure to get to destination and took a few more risks than necessary.

Inadvertently losing visual touch with the horizon can be very dangerous in a helo unless the pilot has VERY intensely trained on IIFR scenarios.

This. I liked Kobe. He was a nice guy, with lots of charm, but this idolatry is getting old. Who was applying the pressure to keep going? Most likely Kobe. Kobe had several opportunities to make a safer albeit longer duration choice but instead insisted on taking the helicopter. The cause of death for Kobe should be listed as "hubris."

People can feel pressure without anyone consciously exerting pressure. The pilot may have decided himself that it was very important to get Kobe to his destination. Kobe could’ve been chill about the situation. We don’t know though.

Possible but not probable. The employer certainly had the ability to tell the employee, no, we'll drive today. If you have to go back to Air Traffic Control for a second attempt to get clearance, it is a strong indicator that you shouldn't be flying that day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to interrupt with helicopter stuff but this podcast interview is fascinating:

Legendary LA Helicopter Pilot Zoey Tur on Kobe Bryant's Final Flight
https://www.siriusxm.com/clips/clip/a9914a41-78d6-4402-8150-b8f14a44945b/8d2d5a4d-139b-4628-9ebf-baa173d32c7d

Can you do a summary for those of us without sirius xm?

Pilot is the one who flew the footer of OJ as he drove down the highway in the Bronco.
About Kobe’s pilot: crash was due to pilot error, inadvertent VFR instrument conditions. Bad weather + firey crash = indicates speeding [upward] helicopter as it crashed down into the [hidden] hillside.

Yes the pilot was flying under visual flight rules, and due to low clouds, he went into the cloud. Then, he most likely got disoriented, flipped the helicopter almost upside down, and it flew directly into the ground.

It’s very easy to lose control of a helicopter when flying into a cloud, even for experienced pilots. He probably was feeling pressure to get to destination and took a few more risks than necessary.

Inadvertently losing visual touch with the horizon can be very dangerous in a helo unless the pilot has VERY intensely trained on IIFR scenarios.

This. I liked Kobe. He was a nice guy, with lots of charm, but this idolatry is getting old. Who was applying the pressure to keep going? Most likely Kobe. Kobe had several opportunities to make a safer albeit longer duration choice but instead insisted on taking the helicopter. The cause of death for Kobe should be listed as "hubris."

People can feel pressure without anyone consciously exerting pressure. The pilot may have decided himself that it was very important to get Kobe to his destination. Kobe could’ve been chill about the situation. We don’t know though.