RIP Kobe Bryant

[Pat Conlon]

A sad day. Only 41 years old is so young. He was one of the best. Gigi, Kobe's 13 year old daughter also died.



Thank you Kobe for your hard work and effort   Thank you for being a Laker.  Say hello to Chick for me...

[andyoutandabout]

Always sad when people pass before their time. I thought of you Pat when I heard the news as I know you are a Lakers super fan. Actually that's the only fact I know about the Lakers, not following basketball myself.

[Pat Conlon]

Thanks Andy

[Mike 86 in San Dimas]

  Being a lifetime Laker Fan I too am in funk today. Lets appreciate each day we have with those we hold dear.

[ZOA NOM]

Absolutely tragic, and by early appearances, unnecessary. A helicopter should never run into a mountain in fog. So many questions.

[Pat Conlon]

Kobe's pilot appeared to be well qualified, but yea, I have never heard of SVFR clearance....

When I went to ground school (1975) we had either VFR or IFR, with nothing in between....

(Rick, before you ask, yes, there were airplanes in 1975)

[ZOA NOM]

Kobe's pilot appeared to be well qualified, but yea, I have never heard of SVFR clearance....

When I went to ground school (1975) we had either VFR or IFR, with nothing in between....

(Rick, before you ask, yes, there were airplanes in 1975)

Probably better pilots too...

This one seems to be a simple case of pilot overconfidence. I just can't understand why he wouldn't fly much slower and higher in those conditions, or hover and descend slowly until you can see the ground. At least they never knew what hit them.

[Pat Conlon]

A good explanation on SVFR and a day old update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df6OPxxbSyc&feature=em-uploademail

A good audio account.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28QYy8lrww8

[fj1289]

Especially sad event to hear a pilot seemingly pressing so hard to avoid picking up an IFR clearance - he was already having to hold for other IFR traffic - wouldn't have cost him any time...

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks for the link, Pat. Very interesting description by the witness, and after listening to the ATC radio conversation, I've changed my opinion. I believe he was a victim of an unfortunate series of circumstances, and was following orders from ATC which led to his demise. He was told to remain below FL025 due to his SVFR clearance, and when he was told he could approach VanNuys by following the 118 freeway, I believe he turned and headed in the direction he thought the freeway was, and flew straight into the hill. The low altitude he was maintaining caused the radio to be unreliable, so he never heard the warning from ATC.

[Millietant]

My condolences to everyone impacted by this tragedy.

I don't have an IFR rating and I'm paranoid about fog/cloud - so many incidents have happened under those conditions that for me it's just not worth the risk (I enjoy the challenge of flying wearing foggles, but then always have an instructor with me when I do that) But as I have a private heli licence and not commercial I'm never under the type of pressure that would make me risk it. Also as a relatively (compared to these guys) low hours pilot, I've yet to become complacent/over-confident.

It's so sad when something like this happens and every time makes me re-think my choice to be a "leisure" flyer - even more risky than riding bikes.

[FJ Flyer]

Just to clarify, an SVFR clearance doesn't require you to remain at a lower altitude, or any altitude.  What it does is allows the pilot to fly under visual flight rules when there is less than the minimum weather (ceiling and visibility) present.  The pilot REQUESTS to fly under SVFR.  The pilot and aircraft must both be certified to fly under instrument conditions.

And the flight was receiving "flight following".  It was not under ATC control, per se.  ATC was providing traffic information and general guidance.  If you are VFR or SVFR you are flying based on visual references, not an instrument flight plan and not under air traffic control, unless you enter controlled airspace (as he did when transiting the BUR and VNY Class D airspaces).

What is odd is that SVFR is mainly for general aviation pilots.  Not commercial air carriers.  This helicopter was operating as a commercial air carrier, with paying passengers.  They should never have been requesting a SVFR clearance.  At least that what appears to be the case.

The NTSB investigation will determine the causes.

[1tinindian]

ATC could not provide flight following because they were to low to be picked up on radar.

[FJ Flyer]

The pilot received flight following for about the first 40 minutes of the flight, only when he descended near the mountains was he in an area that prevented radar contact and radio comm.  He contacted ATC again, just before the impact, to request flight following again.

[ZOA NOM]

Thanks for the clarification, Flyer. I was under the impression he avoided climbing because he didn't want to enter controlled airspace above without going IFR. He was told by ATC to maintain FL025 or below.