Kobe Bryant RIP

[snakeeyes]

In 2014 in Seattle near the space needle, there was a news copter that crashed on takeoff from a news building. It lifted 5 feet in the air then took a nosedive. Both pilot and news photographer were killed on impact in the city street below the building. Serveral explosions happened. The gas from copter also caught a car on fire. The driver of the car had serious burns.

Anyhow seems like there are split second decisions that can go wrong in helicopters.

 

[highfigh]

Yes, one was at night, one was in day and foggy weather. Same disorientation can take place.
Why would Zobayan not trust his instruments? Neither did as they were disoriented. One pilot had lots of flight time, don't know how many actual instrument hours or instrument approaches or landing he had. The other, Kennedy most likely was a casual pilot with few hours and even less or non instrument time if he was even rated for that. Private pilots don't usually have instrument ratings. Zobayan doesn't have a commercial pilot rating on record.

I can't imagine wanting to be a pilot and NOT wanting to be IFR. I wouldn't want to fly in heavy fog- that would be distracting enough, especially if the passengers are talking and worrying about it.

 

[lovinthehd]

Bit more info on the certification thing https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Helicopter-in-Bryant-Crash-Wasn-t-Certified-to-15018416.php

 

[mtrycrafts]

Bit more info on the certification thing https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Helicopter-in-Bryant-Crash-Wasn-t-Certified-to-15018416.php

Oh, sh.. Aircraft not rated for IFR? A commercial company? Wow. I see expensive lawsuits.
Maybe one reason why flight control would not follow him on radar, no IFF besides being low? Although, being low may not be an issue to paint IFF.

Still, he should not have had a sink rate of 4000 ft/min and max aircraft speed.

 

[lovinthehd]

Oh, sh.. Aircraft not rated for IFR? A commercial company? Wow. I see expensive lawsuits.
Maybe one reason why flight control would not follow him on radar, no IFF besides being low? Although, being low may not be an issue to paint IFF.

Still, he should not have had a sink rate of 4000 ft/min and max aircraft speed.

So disoriented he thought he was climbing? Got a link to the data showing the rate of descent and speed?

 

[mtrycrafts]

So disoriented he thought he was climbing? Got a link to the data showing the rate of descent and speed?

Bryant's Helicopter In Rapid Descent Before Fatal Crash | AIN

Helicopter in fatal flight that killed basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and eight others descended at nearly 5,000 fpm prior to crash.

www.ainonline.com

Less than a minute later, at 9:44:22, Socal Approach unsuccessfully tried to reach N722EX. Thirty-one seconds later, near Calabasas, it appears the accident sequence began. Data from Radarbox and Flightradar24 both suggest that the final moments of the flight were unstabilized, with the aircraft climbing rapidly in a turn from west to southeast to east from an altitude of 1,200 to 2,150 feet in less than 40 seconds, before descending at a rate of 4,864 fpm.

The helicopter that crashed killing nine people, including Kobe Bryant, dropped more than 2,000 feet a minute, NTSB says

CALIFORNIA (CNN) — The helicopter that crashed over the weekend in California killing nine people, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant, dropped more than 2,000 feet a minute and was in one piece…

kfor.com

and

Investigators analyzing video that captures sound of Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

Bryant, his daughter and seven others were killed on Sunday.

abcnews.go.com

Listen to the audio that mentions 4000 ft/min descent but this is not the one I read.

Final moments of Kobe Bryant's fatal helicopter crash revealed by investigators

Moments before Los Angeles basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and the seven others perished in a helicopter crash, the pilot had tried to climb out of layer of clouds, but the aircraft then banked sharply and lurched toward the ground.

www.reuters.com

Over 2000 ft/min
“This is a pretty steep descent at high speed,” NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy told a briefing in Calabasas, a town adjacent to the crash scene about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

 

[lovinthehd]

Here is one that states over 2000 ft descent.

The helicopter that crashed killing nine people, including Kobe Bryant, dropped more than 2,000 feet a minute, NTSB says

CALIFORNIA (CNN) — The helicopter that crashed over the weekend in California killing nine people, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant, dropped more than 2,000 feet a minute and was in one piece…

kfor.com

I am looking for the source I read.

Calabasas is basically an area stretching from a the end of the San Fernanco valley floor but climbs into some foothills, so elevation there varies (and if Wikipedia's 928ft elevation is the usual city hall, believe that's one of the lower elevation locations there....Burbank is just about 600 feet and Van Nuys 700 feet but are much flatter than Calabasas, too. I've driven and cycled in the area, my brother works near there and his in laws live there). I searched and found something saying he crashed at 1028 ft elevation. Still, helluva rate of descent. Wonder if he was trying to follow Hwy 101 or was allowed to or....

 

[mtrycrafts]

Calabasas is basically an area stretching from a the end of the San Fernanco valley floor but climbs into some foothills, so elevation there varies (and if Wikipedia's 928ft elevation is the usual city hall, believe that's one of the lower elevation locations there....Burbank is just about 600 feet and Van Nuys 700 feet but are much flatter than Calabasas, too. I've driven and cycled in the area, my brother works near there and his in laws live there). I searched and found something saying he crashed at 1028 ft elevation. Still, helluva rate of descent. Wonder if he was trying to follow Hwy 101 or was allowed to or....

Or... is right

Check my first link as I was still searching and my ;last find moved to 1st. 4800+ ft/min.
Even when you autorotate you don't get that rate of descent.
I should know...

 

[lovinthehd]

Or... is right

Check my first link as I was still searching and my ;last find moved to 1st. 4800+ ft/min.
Even when you autorotate you don't get that rate of descent.
I should know...

Just wondering what the 3d path flight looked like....wonder if my brother has the skinny. He's a pilot, altho not helicopters, just a coupla small planes.