Pilot of helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant,
41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, was
warned 'you're too low' as they flew
through fog despite cops Grounding their fleet*
Daily Mail (UK),
by
Megan Sheets
,
Alex Raskin
&
Lauren Fruen
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
1/27/2020 11:11:13 AM
Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot was told he was 'too low' as he flew through thick fog moments before slamming into a hillside in a crash which killed all nine on board. The NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died along with seven others yesterday when the Sikorsky S-76 (seen left) came down in Calabasas, California.They had flown from John Wayne Airport near his home in Newport Beach and were on their way to Thousand Oaks to Bryant's Mamba Basketball Academy when they crashed. The flight took off shortly after 9am. At around 9.20am, pilot Ara Zobayan circled above Burbank Airport for 15 minutes.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/27/2020 11:35:45 AM (No. 299529)
This is not exactly accurate … The pilot asked the Burbank air traffic controller for “special visual flight control” which involves the controller following the aircraft, staying in contact. The controller said that at the time the aircraft was flying to low for SVFR. The article just posted from CNN explains. DM cherry picked for a sensational headline. What they do.
1 person likes this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Blue-Z-Anna 1/27/2020 11:38:46 AM (No. 299534)
The Instrument Rating separates the pilots from the wanabees.
My flight instructor (40 years ago) used to give out sky-blue business cards to all students who lacked an IFR rating.......you hold it up to the sky and if it doesn't match.....you don't fly.
If the sky-jockey was 'Rated' and still didn't file an IFR flight plan.....that's even worse.
Fixed-wing craft can't even slow down and have a look.
There is no excuse for rotary craft to EVER drive into a hillside.
I don't know or care about basketball but I do care about air safety.
5 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/27/2020 11:41:33 AM (No. 299535)
FTA:
There are conflicting reports that he was trying to land at Burbank and that he was just held there because of it being busy. After around 15 minutes circling above Burbank, he started flying west towards Thousand Oaks, following the highway, but without explanation, dipped south towards Calabasas.
We wondered about the reports that the aircraft circled Burbank for quite a while. This explains it.
The article says that there being only one pilot was unusual. The date for this particular aircraft says they fly with one or two pilots; even mentions that the seat next to the pilot can be utilized for an additional passenger…
Conjecture upon speculation upon guessing… The DM.
3 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/27/2020 11:42:29 AM (No. 299536)
Correction:
data for this aircraft
1 person likes this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/27/2020 11:50:02 AM (No. 299538)
My error in #2. The pilot was on SVFR when he asked the Burbank controller for “flight following”, where they stay in contact with the aircraft. The controller said that at the time they were too low for flight following. Again, the CNN article up the page gives details more accurately than I.
0 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
HPmatt 1/27/2020 12:28:02 PM (No. 299566)
'One of Bryant's former pilots said the aircraft had a stellar safety record.'
Just one incident....
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 1/27/2020 12:34:04 PM (No. 299574)
Sadly, had the aircraft been equipped with a terrain avoidance system the crash might never have happened. Since it belonged to the State of Illinois previously, there was probably no urgency for it, but operating in California among mountains, hills, and power lines, it would have been appropriate, and at a cost of a few tens of thousands of dollars, they could have lived to see another day.
1 person likes this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
PlayItAgain 1/27/2020 12:52:07 PM (No. 299586)
This is terribly sad. I suggest waiting for further facts before forming any opinions.
I'm no expert, but the facts so far suggest that this never should have happened.
4 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
john56 1/27/2020 1:02:28 PM (No. 299595)
#7 reminds me of the saying an old doctor once told me about the percentages of "side effects" from medications. There were only two numbers he was interested in 0% means you didn't have one, 100% meant you had once. Reverse it and you get the safety rating for aircraft. 100% means you had a safe flight and arrived at your destination. 0% means you didn't. You only get one 0% in this game.
4 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
voxpopuli 1/27/2020 1:06:16 PM (No. 299602)
yesterday they were inferring KOBE was the pilot..
does ANYONE in the MSM have a clue as to what happened??
3 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Strike3 1/27/2020 1:09:30 PM (No. 299605)
I used to receive advice before every scuba diving trip that there were a lot of deaths in scuba diving because it is dangerous. I never saw an accident but I did see a lot of bad judgement.
How important was this trip, really? You don't have to wait long for clear skies in California.
3 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
F16 guy 1/27/2020 1:51:33 PM (No. 299635)
Just to clarify: The pilot was NOT told he was too low to the ground (although he was at some point). ATC Approach Control told him he was too low for radar flight following.
Radar info available does show a rapid decrease in speed and a rapid increase in altitude at the very end, indicating, perhaps, an attempt to climb over the terrain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0pQfgi9ZqU
1 person likes this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
HonestDon 1/27/2020 1:52:39 PM (No. 299637)
Flight under SVFR, to be conducted within the regulations, REQUIRES that the pilot maintain flight clear von clouds, and ONE MILE visibility. Had he he done so, I expect he would NOT have flown into the hills.
1 person likes this.
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