Kobe Bryant --TMZ Reports He Died In Helicopter Crash

[ronandannette]

Demi Lovato...girl can SING!!!

 

[Imzadi]

But this pilot was flying VFR (visually, following the freeways) not using instruments to help guide. That’s why he had to hold/circle so long because ATC followed protocol to land those using IFR (instrument flying aircraft) first.

Pilot likely got disoriented in the fog and when he circled he crashed into the mountain.

The pilot wasn't circling around Calabasas where the plane crash happened, He was circling around Glendale, about 35 miles east.

He did ask for special permission to fly VFR in that kind of weather.TMZ reports it was Kobe's private helicopter. That probably accounts for the larger size.

Witnesses said they saw the plane flying exceptionally low. Some said they heard sputtering right before it went down.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Wrong thread sorry. Trying to get a 4 year old back to bed. She is a top 40 freak.

 

[RedAngie]

She's posting in the Grammy thread too and must have gotten mixed up.

 

[Imzadi]

4 other people have been officially identified in the crash:
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife and daughter, and Christina Mauser, a local girls basketball coach in Costa Mesa, CA.

 

[RedAngie]

Does anyone know why he swapped uniform numbers somewhere along the line?

 

[fly girl]

The pilot wasn't circling around Calabasas where the plane crash happened, He was circling around Glendale, about 35 miles east.

He did ask for special permission to fly VFR in that kind of weather.TMZ reports it was Kobe's private helicopter. That probably accounts for the larger size.

Witnesses said they saw the plane flying exceptionally low. Some said they heard sputtering right before it went down.

Sorry, I thought I read he was holding right before the crash as well.

I did read this by one of Kobe’s former pilots. Interesting he believes weather, but anything is possible. I did hear witnesses say they heard odd engine sounds. We will know eventually.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-26/kobe-bryants-helicopter-feels-like-a-limousine-but-had-strong-safety-record-nba-stars-former-pilot-said?_amp=true

 

[TLSnell1981]

Visibility is reported to have been 60 ft at the time of the crash. Maybe conditions deteriorated rapidly. This is so sad a terrible, horrible, awful event.

 

[fly girl]

Does anyone know why he swapped uniform numbers somewhere along the line?

I googled that earlier today because I wondered that same thing.

From what I read (and it could be hooey, but does make sense) is that he switched for a fresh start after Shaq left (they had feud for quite awhile before his trade) and sexual assault allegations.

I also read that’s when he monikered his alter ego name, Black Mamba. Wanted separation from the past.

but like I said, this could all be fake news I read.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We heard the news during my grandson’s birthday party. Kobe is/was my son’s all time favorite player. Heartbreaking news...especially with his daughter and other kids onboard. Devastating.

 

[DLgal]

Visibility is reported to have been 60 ft at the time of the crash. Maybe conditions deteriorated rapidly. This is so sad a terrible, horrible, awful event.

60 ft is awful visibility. This is why they should not fly in those conditions, because it does often deteriorate rapidly.

We live in OC, about as far inland as Glendale (which is only about 15 miles from the coast). We were at a local park around noon and even then, it was very cloudy, foggy and the clouds were VERY low. I can't imagine what the conditions would have been in Newport when they took off much earlier that morning. I could barely see down my street at 8am. We live next door to Newport Beach.

 

[DLgal]

The pilot wasn't circling around Calabasas where the plane crash happened, He was circling around Glendale, about 35 miles east.

He did ask for special permission to fly VFR in that kind of weather.TMZ reports it was Kobe's private helicopter. That probably accounts for the larger size.

Witnesses said they saw the plane flying exceptionally low. Some said they heard sputtering right before it went down.

Glendale is not 35 miles east as the crow flies. Glendale is 15 miles from the coast. It's not even 35 miles from Calabasas...

 

[jdb in AZ]

60 ft is awful visibility. This is why they should not fly in those conditions, because it does often deteriorate rapidly.

We live in OC, about as far inland as Glendale (which is only about 15 miles from the coast). We were at a local park around noon and even then, it was very cloudy, foggy and the clouds were VERY low. I can't imagine what the conditions would have been in Newport when they took off much earlier that morning. I could barely see down my street at 8am. We live next door to Newport Beach.

The police helicopters were grounded by the fog. Too bad Kobe didn't take a limo.

 

[DLgal]

The police helicopters were grounded by the fog. Too bad Kobe didn't take a limo.

I agree. I mean, everyone hates traffic, but that just isn't that far of a distance to drive. Would have taken them an hour and a half at most on a Sunday morning.

 

[TLSnell1981]

The police helicopters were grounded by the fog. Too bad Kobe didn't take a limo.

"The helicopter model carrying Bryant and eight others has a good safety record, said Shawn Coyle, an experienced helicopter pilot and expert witness on accidents. He thinks the decision to fly in fog may have influenced the crash more than the model.

“With an aircraft like that, that’s capable of flying on airways, why they would be flying in bad weather’s got to be in question," Coyle said. "It’s capable of flying on the same airways that an airliner flies on, obviously at lower altitude."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...-ntsb-investigation-what-happened/4585384002/

 

[soccerdad72]

Does anyone know why he swapped uniform numbers somewhere along the line?

24 was his HS number, but another player had it when he joined the Lakers. He has said that he decided to go back to 24 after Shaq was traded to start fresh and begin a new era for his career.

Interesting stat I saw - he scored almost exactly the same number of points in each jersey number (16,777 in #8 / 16,866 in #24)

 

[SaintsManiac]

The police helicopters were grounded by the fog. Too bad Kobe didn't take a limo.

Well, I heard on Undisputed this morning he just didn't drive, ever. He always took a helicopter to games, practice, etc.

 

[Imzadi]

Glendale is not 35 miles east as the crow flies. Glendale is 15 miles from the coast. It's not even 35 miles from Calabasas...

If you are going to get anal, Glendale to Calabasas is 26 miles according to Google Maps. One wouldn't be using, "as the crow flies," straight line directions, as, according to fly girl, she said reports said they were "flying VFR (visually, following the freeways) not using instruments to help guide flying along the visual markers," which would be 134 to the 101 Freeway east. Glendale has 3 freeways around it, which is probably why the pilot circled around a number of times, trying to figure out which freeway was which: the 5 FWY north/south, the 210 also going north & more west, and the 134 east, which is what they wanted, to the 101. I know this area of L.A. very well as I lived in L.A., not O.C, for a number of years.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Glendale,+CA/Calabasas,+California/@34.155145,-118.5988276,11z/

The 101 FWY is a very clogged freeway, especially the interchange where the 101 crosses the 10 FWY. Once can get stuck along that 1 mile section, crawling along for a good hour, literal, in bumper to bumper traffic. Thjere were many times I wish I could just fly over in a helecopter.

 

[DLgal]

If you are going to get anal, Glendale to Calabasas is 26 miles according to Google Maps. One wouldn't be using, "as the crow flies," straight line directions, as, according to fly girl, she said reports said they were "flying VFR (visually, following the freeways) not using instruments to help guide flying along the visual markers," which would be 134 to the 101 Freeway east. Glendale has 3 freeways around it, which is probably why the pilot circled around a number of times, trying to figure out which freeway was which: the 5 FWY north/south, the 210 also going north & more west, and the 134 east, which is what they wanted, to the 101. I know this area of L.A. very well as I lived in L.A., not O.C, for a number of years.

The 101 FWY is a very clogged freeway, especially the interchange where the 101 crosses the 10 FWY. Once can get stuck along that 1 mile section, crawling along for a good hour, literal, in bumper to bumper traffic.

I was pointing out that, by saying Glendale is "35 miles east," it implied that it was far enough inland to not be subject to poor visibility. When you are talking about coastal fog/clouds, 35 miles seems far enough away, but Glendale is not nearly that far away from the coast.

 

[Imzadi]

The police helicopters were grounded by the fog. Too bad Kobe didn't take a limo.

Why did the airport give him permission to fly, even with the special VFR permission?