Kobe Bryant has died

[blazerfan11]

As the case with a lot of accidents, it sounds like this one could've been preventable.

And as with a lot of aircraft accidents, it looks like there might have been more than one opportunity to avoid it. First by not flying at all, then by switching to Instrument Flight Rules.

 

[Reep]

So she tweeted a story about a factual event and got suspended?

I guess etoo only goes so far.

Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was given 'special clearance to fly at or below 2,500 feet in dangerous weather conditions' - relying only on his eyesight rather than instruments before the crash

• The helicopter carrying Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, left Santa Ana in Orange County shortly after 9am
• Conditions were not suitable for flying, according to Los Angeles police who grounded their own choppers
• Pilot was flying under visual flight rules (VFR), meaning he was relying on his ability to see terrain below him
• Around 9.20am, the helicopter circled for about 15 minutes east of Interstate-5, near Glendale, data shows
• Air traffic controllers held up the chopper for other aircraft for 11 minutes, before clearing it through Burbank
• The pilot, who was named as Ara Zobayan, could've contacted ATC and requested to switch to instrument flight rules (IFR), which would have allowed him to navigate through the clouds
• But when pilots fly under IFR, it can be time-consuming, especially in Southern California's busy airspace
• Aircraft continued under VFR and around 9.40am it turned west to follow US Route 101, the Ventura Highway
• Around 9.44am, the helicopter turned toward the southeast and climbed to more than 2,000 feet, in what appeared to be an attempt to put some space between helicopter and terrain
• It then descended and crashed into the hillside at about 1,400 feet, according to data from Flightradar24
• Bryant 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were both killed in crash along with John Altobelli, 56, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, who played on the same basketball team as Bryant's daughter
• Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley tweeted that Christina Mauser, a girls basketball coach, also died in crash
• The NBA legend's helicopter was only 17 miles from the Mamba Sports Academy when the crash occurred
• It's unclear where pilot was going to land in Thousand Oaks, but the nearest helipad to the 100,000-square-foot facility is at Amgen headquarters which is a little over six miles away from Mamba Sports Academy

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...illing-Kobe-8-circled-15-minutes-Burbank.html

I'm still believing it was a mechanical issue based on:

I live in Thousand Oaks;
The Amgen helipad is for emergency use only, and I have never seen one land there;
I was at church less than one mile from the crash site that morning and there was no significant fog in the area of the crash (my daughter has pics); and
My step father sold helicopters for a living and we had a small one in our back yard for several years;
Visibility was just not bad enough to cause a crash.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Apparently.

That's really a shame. I think I read somewhere as well that she was a victim of sexual assault or harassment as well

 

[Eastoff]

Chris Dudley--the Blazer who should have been governor.

Not here please.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Not here please.

I concur. We are here to celebrate a great human, not some guy like Chris Dudley

 

[calvin natt]

I concur. We are here to celebrate a great human, not some guy like Chris Dudley

good lord. Why are you in here? Just to make sure you get some shots in on Kobe? We get it. Find another thread.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Not here please.

Sorry...wasn't trying to make a political comment; just saying that of all our past 24's, he's probably the most connected to the team and the state.

 

[noknobs]

Since the Clippers/Lakers game got post-poned, looks like the first Laker home game will be against Portland on Friday. The phrase "sacrificial lamb" comes to mind.

 

[e_blazer]

Since the Clippers/Lakers game got post-poned, looks like the first Laker home game will be against Portland on Friday. The phrase "sacrificial lamb" comes to mind.

I think that the Blazers should honor Kobe in that game by scoring 248 points.

 

[hoopsjock]

I think that the Blazers should honor Kobe in that game by scoring 248 points.

Why not 824?

 

[e_blazer]

Why not 824?

Didn't want to be piggish while the Lakers are in mourning.

 

[OneSport3]

I concur. We are here to celebrate a great human, not some guy like Chris Dudley

Wow, it must be great to wake up every morning and look in the mirror and see the perfect human being with no flaws...

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Sorry...wasn't trying to make a political comment; just saying that of all our past 24's, he's probably the most connected to the team and the state.

I’ve run into Dudley twice in the last four years. Both times in Del Mar/San Diego area. I think he spends most of his time down there. So, consider your point invalidated until proven otherwise.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Wow, it must be great to wake up every morning and look in the mirror and see the perfect human being with no flaws...

fucked up, dude.

mm is blind.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Since the Clippers/Lakers game got post-poned, looks like the first Laker home game will be against Portland on Friday. The phrase "sacrificial lamb" comes to mind.

BEAT LA.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I keep hearing people say that the NBA should retire Kobe's number leaguewide. That just seems super excessive to me. Am I alone here?

You forget how delusional L*ker fans and the Kobe nutriders are.

They also want to make him the NBA logo now.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

No accident, be it motorcycle or cars, does as much damage to the human body as an aircraft. This helicopter was going 161 knots (185mph) and did not slow down once they got the OK to travel through Burbank.

Only three have been recovered so far. This shit is a nightmare.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[Mediocre Man]

good lord. Why are you in here? Just to make sure you get some shots in on Kobe? We get it. Find another thread.

But this one is so warm and cozy

 

[Mediocre Man]

Wow, it must be great to wake up every morning and look in the mirror and see the perfect human being with no flaws...

The thing I'm best at is imperfection.

 

[oldmangrouch]

fucked up, dude.

mm is blind.

???

That is either a bad joke, or I have missed something all these years.

 

[Mediocre Man]

fucked up, dude.

mm is blind.

I like this

 

[Mediocre Man]

???

That is either a bad joke, or I have missed something all these years.

I took it as blind to situations like this. Funny

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

???

That is either a bad joke, or I have missed something all these years.

You’ve missed MM’s humor/sarcasm/personality all these years. Go hard or go home.

 

[PDXFonz]

Got a feeling Lebron is going to go off against us on Friday, and I might be alright with that.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Got a feeling Lebron is going to go off against us on Friday, and I might be alright with that.

As long as we get the W.

 

[DDolla]

That Friday hug between Lebron and Melo will make me cry again.

 

[DDolla]

Got a feeling Lebron is going to go off against us on Friday, and I might be alright with that.

He will try to get 81 points