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Apparently Kobe has been renting choppers for years and is possibly a pilot himself. I recall years ago seeing
him by a R22 Robinson chopper most likely a trainer. Really foggy around Calabasas this morning, a huge loss for basketball for sure..............
I listen to the radio traffic from the helicopter maybe someone who is a helicopter pilot can chime in. Sounds like to me he was scud running under low cloud base following the 118 freeway maybe the ground rose into the clouds, or he rose up into the clouds to allow Socal ATC to see him on their radar so they could give him flight following. Seems to me this type of flying is risky business I know they follow freeways probably works most of the time. If you look at the pictures the crash is off to the right of the 118 freeway maybe the freeway turned to the left and he went into the clouds hit the mountain to the side. The call sign is N2EX but doesn't seem to come back to registration number maybe hearing wrong.
Supposedly this was Bryants personal helicopter a Sikorsky S-76 (twin-turboshaft) very well equipped I'm sure why fly so low just file IFR and let ATC do their job land at an airport. It shocks me when I hear about these rich people doing stupid things like this when they have the money to fly safely in any aircraft money can buy. I can understand the middle class guy who can barely afford a 1970's airplane get caught flying VFR into IMC he doing the best he can.
I listen to the radio traffic from the helicopter maybe someone who is a helicopter pilot can chime in. Sounds like to me he was scud running under low cloud base following the 118 freeway maybe the ground rose into the clouds, or he rose up into the clouds to allow Socal ATC to see him on their radar so they could give him flight following. Seems to me this type of flying is risky business I know they follow freeways probably works most of the time. If you look at the pictures the crash is off to the right of the 118 freeway maybe the freeway turned to the left and he went into the clouds hit the mountain to the side. The call sign is N2EX but doesn't seem to come back to registration number maybe hearing wrong.
Supposedly this was Bryants personal helicopter a Sikorsky S-76 (twin-turboshaft) very well equipped I'm sure why fly so low just file IFR and let ATC do their job land at an airport. It shocks me when I hear about these rich people doing stupid things like this when they have the money to fly safely in any aircraft money can buy. I can understand the middle class guy who can barely afford a 1970's airplane get caught flying VFR into IMC he doing the best he can.
I'm not a pilot so most of it's Greek to me, but I was just curious as to why he might have done that sudden climb at the end. Saw the mountain coming at him? Was he the one that ATC said was "still too low"? The clip on TMZ right after the crash shows extremely foggy conditions. Wonder if Kobe pressed the pilot to fly, even though it was foggy, or the pilot just decided he could manage it. (I remember not long ago there was a doctor/pilot down here in Florida who took off in foggy conditions when no one else was flying; he also crashed.) Was Kobe's 'copter the one that ATC said was flying VFR? Why would a pilot do that if he can do IFR, or was IFR not on this helicopter? So many questions.
This may be dumb but could it have been collision with another aircraft? I would think this would be known and revealed by now if so. But every pic I'veseen of his personal S-76 is black and gray while the debris in all the news video looks like light blue and white. And the tail looks separated and a hundred yards or more away. There is lots of what looks like trash or debris in another area with large red and white pieces that the rescuers don't seem to be looking at.
I listen to the recording again at 3:13 he calls for a south west turn towards 101 freeway that's where the left the freeway and lost a good path to follow stay out of the hills you know a freeway will be flat. I saw that sudden rise yes I think they might have seen rising mountain in front of them rose up into the clouds that experienced spatial distortions, and lost control. So far from what I have seen this flight should have never happened, or turned around for a good airport. It's risky business flying like this and if you don't have a good plan in place to divert to this can happen.
Why he flew VFR I don't know but Helicopters probably just don't bother with IFR if they don't have to because a helicopter can slow to a hover they just follow the ground it's different then an airplane which always has to fly forward to keep the wings lifting them. We need someone who is Helicopter rated to chime in here give us some insight the typical flights.
This may be dumb but could it have been collision with another aircraft? I would think this would be known and revealed by now if so. But every pic I'veseen of his personal S-76 is black and gray while the debris in all the news video looks like light blue and white. And the tail looks separated and a hundred yards or more away. There is lots of what looks like trash or debris in another area with large red and white pieces that the rescuers don't seem to be looking at.
No it was only one aircraft but I suspect Spatial disorientation this is where you get into clouds can't see out the window all white out. The inner ear tells the pilot he is turning he turns the other way sending into a spiral losing control. The aircraft can breakup in mid-air because the pilot is pulling too hard on the controls.
But every pic I'veseen of his personal S-76 is black and gray while the debris in all the news video looks like light blue and white. And the tail looks separated and a hundred yards or more away. There is lots of what looks like trash or debris in another area with large red and white pieces that the rescuers don't seem to be looking at.
Maybe he was just leasing/renting the black and gray one or that one was being worked on or used by another client, so they used this one instead or they might have even repainted it?
Imagine if you were walking on that trail right next to where it happened. I'm sure someone is going to make some sort of memorial/shrine right there along the trail where it crashed.
Kurt Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters who used to fly Bryant in the chopper, said weather conditions were poor in Van Nuys on Sunday morning — “not good at all.”
The crash was more likely caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues, he said. “The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” he said.
Judging from a public record of the flight path and the wide debris field, Deetz said that it appears the helicopter was traveling very fast at the time of impact, about 160 mph. After a 40-minute flight, Deetz added, the craft would have had about 800 pounds of fuel on board.
Do you think the recording that's been posted goes all the way to the time of the crash? Wouldn't we have heard an oh sh*t or something, he obviously had a couple seconds to climb. I was wondering if they edited that part out, like we didn't hear ATC trying to contact them. I just cannot imagine their final moments...horrifying.
We just have to wait for the NTSB won't be much for awhile. I had at first thought Bryant was a pilot, but now sounding more like this company is doing the flying. If he is using a company to hire pilots sometimes those places can be revolving door as they hire pilots all the time building hours only have to meet the requirements. That doesn't take into account a pilot who has a poor record of bad decision making. Such as turning around when weather gets bad and declaring to ATC your in IMC need help. So many options yet pressing on is what sadly happens way too much when VFR rated pilots fly into IMC.
That LA times link above something that stands out Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said the department’s Air Support Division grounded its helicopters Sunday morning because of foggy conditions and didn’t fly until the afternoon
If LAPD grounded their choppers kind of tells you the risk Bryant's pilot was taking.
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