Kobe Bryant chopper crash

[floatman]

Condolences to all on board.

Why pilots continue to drone around VFR when conditions are marginal at best will always escape me.....

Totally agree.

[Oxi]

To those of you making comments about Kobe; please, have a little class and only discuss aviation here. You're empowered to believe whatever you want about the man, but he was an iconic athlete loved by millions of people around the world. A lot of people are rattled by this.

Why?

Why should celebrities get an outpouring of support?

Not a single article I've seen mentions anyone else's name.

What did he do for the world that deserves special consideration to not mention him here while he's mentioned in every article.

Why not mention his controversies? Rape cases and bought off witnesses... he could shoot a hoop, that's for sure.

I could care less though... dead millionaire who was tall and athletic... whatever.

I feel for the Pilots and their families... I hope the Bryant estate looks after their future too.

Wow I cannot agree more with others and how classless you and your post is. The man has done considerable philanthropic and charity work for not only his community but the global one as well.

[Heliian]

Unfortunately this seems like a simple case of vfr into imc and loss of control leading to collision with terrrain. Going by weather at dep/dest airports and flight track, along with video from the scene it looks like they came down over Van Nuys and then attempted to follow the highway towards the destination but ran out of visibility and room to manoeuvre. Why the pilot didn't attempt to slow down and crawl along the highway, we won't ever know.

[broken_slinky]

Why the pilot didn't attempt to slow down and crawl along the highway, we won't ever know.

I've always wondered the same about helicopter VFR into IMC crashes. They have the added luxury of hovering that us fixed wing buggers don't. Especially in a Sikorsky S-76, it's a pretty serious piece of kit. You're not talking Grandpa's Rotorway.

[rookiepilot]

True.

All life is precious, and always sad to see someone that young go.

I think I know this better than almost anyone.

Nine people are dead and this is about you?

No it certainly isn't, and I changed my post shortly after I wrote it, upon reflection, and certainly before your post.

Not soon enough for the trolls, however.

It's not "Kobe Bryant" helicopter crash, however. It's a helicopter crash that DID kill nine people, and ALL of those lives are equally precious.

Try to get THAT part right about my post, Telex.

[altiplano]

Point is the outpouring of grief disproportionate.

People that make a difference more significant than Kobe Bryant die tragically every day. He wasn't a saint.

[PilotDAR]

While we're holding empathetic thoughts for Mr Bryant and his daughter and their family, I'm sure we are also thinking of the families of the other seven victims, and, all of the emergency services personnel who arrived to find the sad scene, and, the ATC people who realized that a pilot they had just been talking to has now died, and, the people who took pride in the maintenance of the helicopter, which is now a debris trail, and, the staff of the helicopter operator company. And... the reality, that many of these people now have to relive this sad event, in being interviewed, having to write reports, and produce documentation for examination.

The sadness extends, to varying degrees, far beyond the people who were aboard the helicopter...

[FlyYukon]

Hi all,

Condolences to the friends and family of the victims, whoever they may be.

Let us get this back on track, to the point of aviation safety and investigation. A machine with good safety record crashed due to unknown reasons!

**verfied video falsely attributed to this event, link removed**

[PilotDAR]

That's not the right video, this has been confirmed elsewhere.

[twa22]

Point is the outpouring of grief disproportionate.

People that make a difference more significant than Kobe Bryant die tragically every day. He wasn't a saint.

No he wasn't, and I get why you feel the way you do and it makes sense.

However

He was an iconic figure who achieved many great things on and off the court, so it's only natural people will automatically focus on him... When I was growing up, I used to play basketball and he was my favorite player, so it did hit me when I found out, as he was definitely a role model and inspiration for me... I'll be over it in a day, the world goes on.

So altiplano, he may have been a nobody to you, and I agree that there are more significant people out in this world who may not receive the global recognition that they should (such as nobel prize winners), but the idea here is, keep it to yourself or complain about it to your inner circle of friends. No need to voice your disgust and displeasure on a public forum in the manner you did, that really is classless.

This also goes for anyone else that does the same... that thread "Are people in the Airlines as miserable as those here?" is really shining a light on some of the posters here

[Pratt X 3]

By far the best witness account during an interview by the media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28QYy8lrww8

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

Aside from Kobe and his daughter "Gigi" Gianna, seven other people died in this crash.

John Altobelli, a longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College, and his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, who played on Gianna's club team.

Sarah Chester, and her daughter Payton.

Chistina Mauser - Gigi's coach.

And the pilot, Ara Zobayan, an instructor with 20 years' experience.

As reported by the New York Times but not yet confirmed by authorities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/w ... auser.html

[co-joe]

Condolences to all on board.

Why pilots continue to drone around VFR when conditions are marginal at best will always escape me.....

Totally agree.

Listening to the ATC recordings on Skudrunners link you can hear the guy flying knows the area really well (an isn't Kobe), and you can hear ATC wants nothing to do with a special vfr helo in ifr wx. 15 minute hold from the first guy at 2500' or below in big hills, then the next controller keeps pestering him to say are you vfr yet, how about now, how about now? They just didn't want to deal with him and rightfully so.

[altiplano]

Point is the outpouring of grief disproportionate.

People that make a difference more significant than Kobe Bryant die tragically every day. He wasn't a saint.

No he wasn't, and I get why you feel the way you do and it makes sense.

However

He was an iconic figure who achieved many great things on and off the court, so it's only natural people will automatically focus on him... When I was growing up, I used to play basketball and he was my favorite player, so it did hit me when I found out, as he was definitely a role model and inspiration for me... I'll be over it in a day, the world goes on.

So altiplano, he may have been a nobody to you, and I agree that there are more significant people out in this world who may not receive the global recognition that they should (such as nobel prize winners), but the idea here is, keep it to yourself or complain about it to your inner circle of friends. No need to voice your disgust and displeasure on a public forum in the manner you did, that really is classless.

This also goes for anyone else that does the same... that thread "Are people in the Airlines as miserable as those here?" is really shining a light on some of the posters here

I don't disagree. I appreciate he was a big deal to you, and they sung for him at the Staples center last night, and it's all over the news, so I see it's a big deal to people and the media cycle, and you're right maybe I should keep it to myself.

But someone mentioned in the thread not to talk about the man, talk about the aviation side only, my reply was in response to that. Why? Why can't we talk about the man? No disgust or whatever as you mention. I take it from a more existential viewpoint I suppose, maybe that's hard to follow.

[Old fella]

Point is the outpouring of grief disproportionate.

People that make a difference more significant than Kobe Bryant die tragically every day. He wasn't a saint.

No he wasn't, and I get why you feel the way you do and it makes sense.

However

He was an iconic figure who achieved many great things on and off the court, so it's only natural people will automatically focus on him... When I was growing up, I used to play basketball and he was my favorite player, so it did hit me when I found out, as he was definitely a role model and inspiration for me... I'll be over it in a day, the world goes on.

So altiplano, he may have been a nobody to you, and I agree that there are more significant people out in this world who may not receive the global recognition that they should (such as nobel prize winners), but the idea here is, keep it to yourself or complain about it to your inner circle of friends. No need to voice your disgust and displeasure on a public forum in the manner you did, that really is classless.

This also goes for anyone else that does the same... that thread "Are people in the Airlines as miserable as those here?" is really shining a light on some of the posters here

I don't disagree. I appreciate he was a big deal to you, and they sung for him at the Staples center last night, and it's all over the news, so I see it's a big deal to people and the media cycle, and you're right maybe I should keep it to myself.

But someone mentioned in the thread not to talk about the man, talk about the aviation side only, my reply was in response to that. Why? Why can't we talk about the man? No disgust or whatever as you mention. I take it from a more existential viewpoint I suppose, maybe that's hard to follow.

I am somewhat similar to you in my thinking in that the Aviation Superhighway or Airway if you will is littered with holes in the ground(some with big smokes) of celebrities, entertainers, sports players and the like. Been that way since I can remember in my 7th decade. This will be a news cycle for a few days until another “ hole and smoke” happens. Personally I am ambivalent towards it all, neither mock those involved nor give those types of accidents nothing more than a passing read.

[FICU]

This helicopter crash is no more important than any other helicopter crash.

Oh right... today's infatuation with celebs and the media's infatuation with ratings.

[twa22]

Point is the outpouring of grief disproportionate.

People that make a difference more significant than Kobe Bryant die tragically every day. He wasn't a saint.

No he wasn't, and I get why you feel the way you do and it makes sense.

However

He was an iconic figure who achieved many great things on and off the court, so it's only natural people will automatically focus on him... When I was growing up, I used to play basketball and he was my favorite player, so it did hit me when I found out, as he was definitely a role model and inspiration for me... I'll be over it in a day, the world goes on.

So altiplano, he may have been a nobody to you, and I agree that there are more significant people out in this world who may not receive the global recognition that they should (such as nobel prize winners), but the idea here is, keep it to yourself or complain about it to your inner circle of friends. No need to voice your disgust and displeasure on a public forum in the manner you did, that really is classless.

This also goes for anyone else that does the same... that thread "Are people in the Airlines as miserable as those here?" is really shining a light on some of the posters here

I don't disagree. I appreciate he was a big deal to you, and they sung for him at the Staples center last night, and it's all over the news, so I see it's a big deal to people and the media cycle, and you're right maybe I should keep it to myself.

But someone mentioned in the thread not to talk about the man, talk about the aviation side only, my reply was in response to that. Why? Why can't we talk about the man? No disgust or whatever as you mention. I take it from a more existential viewpoint I suppose, maybe that's hard to follow.

I guess Kobe should have just let his chauffeur take the I-5 or whatever. Sure, LA traffic sucks, but it was the weekend... wouldn't have been too bad.

Sorry to hear a fellow pilot has Flown West on the job again. Condolences to the crew's family.

This post doesn't sound like you're very impressed with him... More so you sound disgusted by the fact that "he could've taken his chauffeur" and this could've all been avoided.

Maybe the pilot shouldn't have been flying in near IMC/marginal VMC, and all of this could've been avoided. Just saying. I am not going to pretend like I have a clue what happened, but judging by what the prevailing weather was at the time, it doesn't look good on the pilots end

Yet you're only giving condolences to the crew's family and diminishing everyone else on bored (forget the celebrity who was on there)

I'm writing this to point out the fact that your tone in the post comes off as very sour and disgusted... I'm sure that's what some other readers thought as well.

Like I said, I do get why you feel the way you do, but pointing it out in the tone you did doesn't make it sound good, and I personally was annoyed with the tone.

But anyways, let's move past that

[altiplano]

To those of you making comments about Kobe; please, have a little class and only discuss aviation here. You're empowered to believe whatever you want about the man, but he was an iconic athlete loved by millions of people around the world. A lot of people are rattled by this.

...Why not mention his controversies? Rape cases and bought off witnesses... he could shoot a hoop, that's for sure.

I could care less though... dead millionaire who was tall and athletic... whatever.

I feel for the Pilots and their families... I hope the Bryant estate looks after their future too.

Gets my vote for Most Classless Post of the Year.

"Only the pilots and THEIR families matter and THEY should get sympathy AND get paid by the guy who got killed while paying the salary of the pilot". Makes perfect sense...

There were a bunch of unsuspecting people on that flight including a couple of kids with their whole lives ahead of them. But you could care less. You sound like a douche with those comments.

If you're giving it that title, don't redact what I wrote at least.

Plus the year is still young... there are more doozies to come on avcanada still in 2020.

But to respond to the rest of your post, in fact those are the people I don't hear support for, and that I do support. Those are the tragedies. Based on most of the news reports one may suspect Kobe Bryant was the only one on that aircraft, flying himself... or maybe it was just him and the pilots?

In fact there was an entire family killed on that flight. An entire family. A youth team coach, his wife, and his daughter... there's the tragedy, but that's not the story here. The story is all Kobe, but we can't talk about the man. Why? Who cares? There's more to this accident and I stated so in my post which you redacted. And maybe I took it too far to demonstrate that and triggered the avcanada peanut gallery... so sorry, I guess.

[Gear Jerker]

Deleted, because I don't want to go there. This is an aviation website thread about a helicopter crash. I'm going to stick to that line of conversation.

[altiplano]

No he wasn't, and I get why you feel the way you do and it makes sense.

However

He was an iconic figure who achieved many great things on and off the court, so it's only natural people will automatically focus on him... When I was growing up, I used to play basketball and he was my favorite player, so it did hit me when I found out, as he was definitely a role model and inspiration for me... I'll be over it in a day, the world goes on.

So altiplano, he may have been a nobody to you, and I agree that there are more significant people out in this world who may not receive the global recognition that they should (such as nobel prize winners), but the idea here is, keep it to yourself or complain about it to your inner circle of friends. No need to voice your disgust and displeasure on a public forum in the manner you did, that really is classless.

This also goes for anyone else that does the same... that thread "Are people in the Airlines as miserable as those here?" is really shining a light on some of the posters here

I don't disagree. I appreciate he was a big deal to you, and they sung for him at the Staples center last night, and it's all over the news, so I see it's a big deal to people and the media cycle, and you're right maybe I should keep it to myself.

But someone mentioned in the thread not to talk about the man, talk about the aviation side only, my reply was in response to that. Why? Why can't we talk about the man? No disgust or whatever as you mention. I take it from a more existential viewpoint I suppose, maybe that's hard to follow.

I guess Kobe should have just let his chauffeur take the I-5 or whatever. Sure, LA traffic sucks, but it was the weekend... wouldn't have been too bad.

Sorry to hear a fellow pilot has Flown West on the job again. Condolences to the crew's family.

This post doesn't sound like you're very impressed with him... More so you sound disgusted by the fact that "he could've taken his chauffeur" and this could've all been avoided.

Maybe the pilot shouldn't have been flying in near IMC/marginal VMC, and all of this could've been avoided. Just saying. I am not going to pretend like I have a clue what happened, but judging by what the prevailing weather was at the time, it doesn't look good on the pilots end

Yet you're only giving condolences to the crew's family and diminishing everyone else on bored (forget the celebrity who was on there)

I'm writing this to point out the fact that your tone in the post comes off as very sour and disgusted... I'm sure that's what some other readers thought as well.

Like I said, I do get why you feel the way you do, but pointing it out in the tone you did doesn't make it sound good, and I personally was annoyed with the tone.

But anyways, let's move past that

I didn't say I was disgusted. Just stating a fact. Instead of firing up the chopper to get across the city he clearly should have drove in poor weather or planned better. Maybe gone up the night before.

As I just stated, based on early reports there wasn't anyone else on that machine. Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, outpour of support, grief, songs, tributes... in fact there were other people, only one I knew of was the pilot at the time of that post because the rest wasn't being reported. Turns out a whole family was on there too.

I'm not sour or disgusted, as I said it didn't affect me. But I'm disappointed in the reporting and the ignoring of the regular people affected by tragedy.

TMZ broke the story... so maybe that says it all right there.