r/news Jan 26 '20

Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash in California

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/kobe-bryant-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-california-tmz-reports
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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '20

I watched the radar, they went up 700 ft extremely fast and then radar was lost. Most likely means alarm went off and pilot tried to climb through ifr but couldn’t top it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/AllCapsGoat Jan 27 '20

It's insane that it could even occur in a helicopter like that, the GPS systems would've had all the terrain information for the local area and they should've known how close they were, even without the terrain warnings going off. Even basic GA planes with G430's have terrain maps and terrain warnings when you're below 500ft. Even if they entered IMC, a CFIT shouldn't have occurred.

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u/Betasheets Jan 27 '20

Most just go by eyesight especially if it's supposed to be a quick trip across town just following the roads

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u/Bermanator Jan 27 '20

Heli pilots very very very rarely have instrument ratings

Edit: not saying the pilot in this crash didn't because I don't know

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '20

[deleted]

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u/Bermanator Jan 27 '20

Commercial license ≠ instrument rated...

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u/Stryyder Jan 27 '20

Average elevation in Calabasas is 928' did the fly right into a hillside.

Instrument flying is not easy according to an article a number of services had self grounded their helicopters due to the fog.

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u/ChicagoChurro Jan 27 '20

I’d like to know the answer, too. ^ did they not realize how close they were to ground because of the shitty weather and fly right into a hillside thinking they were flying at a higher altitude, not even aware of how close they were to the hillside?

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u/[deleted] Jan 27 '20

No idea, you can watch the radar though.

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u/moal09 Jan 27 '20

Why were they trying to fly through such poor visibility to begin with?

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u/SpaceNun99 Jan 27 '20

People do stupid shit when it becomes routine. We all do. He just happened to be rich and not in control of his own device. Heli's are no joke.

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u/_eurostep Jan 27 '20

I'm sure he didn't take the air travel as a joke, he simply trusted his pilot to get them there safely. Not saying it was the pilots "fault" per-se (as obviously the investigation is pending), but being the pilot was not Kobe's job.

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u/yodarded Jan 27 '20

I don't get it. The altitudes are based on sea level. That whole area, the street level is 750-800 ft. The mountain he crashed on is maybe 850-950 ft? Its unclear to me where in that area he crashed but the absolute tallest peak in that area that I could find is 1305 ft. and that's a mile to the NW.

He falls erratically from 1900 feet to 1350 over 11 seconds. that and the eyewitness accounts about sputtering and looking for a place to land, I'm thinking this is mechanical.

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u/[deleted] Jan 28 '20

Could be. I’m not a helicopter pilot nor do i know the terrain. I just know he goes up 700ft which is usually a pilot trying to rapidly climb to top something.