CA - Kobe Bryant, 41, daughter GiGi, 13, & 7 others die in helicopter crash, Calabasas, 26 Jan 2020

[whitelilac]

There is speculation on the pilots' forum that the pilot may have been heading towards the Hidden Hills Sheriff's Dept helipad, but he turned 20 seconds too soon, due to the poor visibility. Who knows ?

 

[Snoods]

The odd thing from what I know this particular helicopter is equipped with all the computer safety measures.

It makes me wonder if he was using them or flying by using visuals only?

Imoo

I know, I imagine alarms were going off. I can’t imagine he would be trying to fly by visual only, especially with the bad fog.

The last I heard, ATC told him to continue visually and he confirmed.

Oh my, so fog wasn’t an issue? This is confusing.

 

[Snoods]

There is speculation on the pilots' forum that the pilot may have been heading towards the Hidden Hills Sheriff's Dept helipad, but he turned 20 seconds too soon, due to the poor visibility. Who knows ?

This makes sense.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The last I heard, ATC told him to continue visually and he confirmed.

Thanks.

Oh goodness. I wonder why since the fog was so dense? How in the world were they expecting him to see in such weather conditions?

Its puzzling they would direct him to use visibility only in those kind of conditions.

But I could understand them telling him not to use autopiolot though, and do the maneuvers himself.

Most aren't aware, but it's much more difficult to pilot a helicopter than an airplane.

Jmho

 

[Gardenista]

I know, I imagine alarms were going off. I can’t imagine he would be trying to fly by visual only, especially with the bad fog.

Oh my, so fog wasn’t an issue? This is confusing.

Fog is so tricky. You can be in and out of it so quickly.

 

[Quiet Time]

Nothing else really seems all that important today , does it?

jmo

 

[Jsizzle]

Nothing else really seems all that important today , does it?

jmo

Just thinking about all of these families being ripped apart just kills my soul.....

 

[margarita25]

Delete consolidated below

 

[Snoods]

You can see the low cloud coverage and fog from these photos.



TMZ: Kobe Bryant and others killed in Calabasas helicopter crash - VVNG.com

 

[SuziQ]

That would make sense. It would be weird to have issues with heavy fog, and encounter mechanical issues at the exact same time.

So you’ve sold me.

It sounds like a wild and scary ride for everyone once they got to LA County.

These are my stomping grounds. I was reading about the fog at LAX last night.

Does anyone know where they were going to land? Maybe Mamba has a heli pad?

 

[margarita25]

Dbm consolidated

 

[Quiet Time]

Fog can be bad. One minute you can see, and the next thing you know you're driving through this blanket of white...not knowing when it's going to end.
I like to say it's like being in the Twilight Zone.

Last week we had a couple of bad foggy mornings here (central valley, california)
and I waited for it to clear before I left for work.

 

[whitelilac]

John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and daughter Alyssa. RIP, so sad
http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/news/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?&ID=21742

 

[Lusitana]

It sounds like a wild and scary ride for everyone once they got to LA County.

These are my stomping grounds. I was reading about the fog at LAX last night.

Does anyone know where they were going to land? Maybe Mamba has a heli pad?

Mamba is in Newbury Park. I believe they would use Twi Ii Heliport.

 

[Snoods]

So the pilot requested a Special VFR clearance because of IFR conditions.

Special VFR is a sub category of Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight. Permission to operate under Special VFRwithin a Control Zone, in meteorological conditions not meeting Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) minima, is given to a flight by means of an Air Traffic Control clearance.

Instrument Flight Rules (IFR): Ceilings 500 to less than 1,000 feet and/or visibility 1 to less than 3 miles. IFR= 500-1000′ and/or 1-3 miles. In other words, you must be on an IFR Flight plan or request Special VFR clearance from tower.

So this means they asked for special flight clearance because of visibility problems.

The Differences Between VFR, MVFR, IFR and LIFR

 

[margarita25]

Nothing else really seems all that important today , does it?

jmo

I saw some interviews with the Nuggets and their coach who played the Rockets today- they all pretty much said the same thing, Kobe was in the backs of all of their minds during the game. Kobe’s image was on the big screen during today’s ProBowl as well.

The Grammy’s are being held at Staple Center in LA tonight. The host was discussing his memories of interviewing Kobe in the locker room in Staple Center.

Many people feeling the loss, athletes, fans...

 

[Oregonmama]

RIP Kobe and everyone else who passed away in this crash. How terrifying and horrific

 

[Oregonmama]

Yikes

911 Caller Says Helicopter Crash that Killed Kobe Bryant & Daughter Was 'Over in a Quarter Second'

 

[margarita25]

Yikes

911 Caller Says Helicopter Crash that Killed Kobe Bryant & Daughter Was 'Over in a Quarter Second'

Yeah I was counting while watching/listening to the flight radar video over and over - it happened fast. I was thinking how fast it was, but hoping it didn’t seem like an eternity to them.

 

[Snoods]

When was the last time someone this famous died in a plane crash? John Kennedy? The band members of Lynyrd Skynyrd?