Kobe Bryant Crash

[FLYBOYJ]

A very sad day in the sports word hearing this news. At this time it looks like Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 7 other people were killed as the Sikorsky S 76 they were flying in slammed into some hilly terrain to the north west of LA. The NTSB is on their way and so far (from what I've seen) there hasn't been too much speculation about this incident. I was surfing the internet and came across some interesting information.

This site not only had information about the aircraft but a flight tacker of today's flight. Since I used to live (and fly) in Southern California, this caught my attention.

Kobe Bryant among nine killed in helicopter crash near Los Angeles | International Flight Network

N72EX - Sikorsky S-76B [760379] - Flightradar24

It looks like he took off from John Wayne airport, flew a low level helicopter route to Glendale CA, where the helicopter seemed to circle over the city. He continued north and then over Granada Hills started tuning to the south west, it looks like they were 1200' MSL. Over Woodland Hills they being to follow the 101 freeway remaining at 1200' MSL until they got over Las Virgenes Rd, made a turn to the south east and flew into higher terrain to the east of Las Virgenes Rd. Prior to the turn they were cruising at about 130 knts GS. After they made that turn they abruptly slowed down to 110 knts and then began to climb and gain ground speed The tracking ends at 1700 MSL. 153 knts, 17:45z. Looking at some online sectional and terminal chart products, it looks like terrain in the area was over 2000'.

I didn't pull up weather reports but eye witnesses who saw the helicopter before the cash said it was "cloudy and foggy" which I know is typical in that area, especially during this time of the year during AM hours.

The site also shows the helicopter being operated several days prior to this crash.

Amazing the online resources available but I'll still let the NTSB do their job, but I do know these resources are pretty reliable.

RIP Kobe, Gianna and all who perished!

 

[michael rauls]

R.I.P.....Really sad already but when I heard the daughter perished in the crash as well that was just overwhelmingly tragic.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

ATC recording - the obvious is evident but I'll let the NTSB give the last word. So sad.

 

[GrauGeist]

Those hills and surrounding ranges in SoCal have claimed a good number of lives as far back as aviation goes.

Sad to hear of the tragic news

 

[Wurger]

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I hate to speculate but...

The more I listen to the radio conservation, the more I think the pilot was not instrument rated. That would explain the "special VFR", and why he was trying to follow the roads. He was trying to stay below the clouds and maintain visual reference and flew them into a mountain.

Just speculation on my part. The NTSB investigation will tell.

 

[Zipper730]

At first when I heard this, I wasn't sure it was for real. Evidently it was.

 

[Peter Gunn]

I heard an initial report that the original pilot refused to fly and that another pilot was hired to make the flight. Not sure if it's true or not, was just a blurb on the radio and could be just more confusion in the initial reporting.

Too bad it happened, I give zero sh!ts about sports figures and "celebrities" but I don't like to see them die, especially needlessly. Seems like a case of "Get-theritis" but I could be wrong. I hope that doesn't come off sounding cold hearted, it's just they mean so little to me I can't get too emotional or upset about it.

Although I am sorry to hear his daughter was also killed and of course his family will be devastated, but no more than the thousands of non-famous people that pass every day in obscurity.

I agree with Adler, sounds like a VFR pilot in over his head, just more proof (if needed) that no matter how much money and fame you have, you can't overcome Mother Nature in an aircraft.

 

[Gnomey]

Sad news indeed. Be interesting what the investigation shows.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

MIflyer said:
This newspaper has a good account of the circumstances associated with the helicopter crash that all the news has been covering.
I have flown Special VFR in the LA basin exactly ONCE, and it certainly was not under conditions remotely similar to what is described. We took off from Torrance in Cessna 172 with the usual California coastal "horizontal overcast" of about 500 ft thick. Typically SFR is used to get away from the airport a short distance to a VFR area.

Helicopter that crashed killing Kobe and 8 others circled for 15 minutes over Burbank | Daily Mail Online

 

[MIflyer]

I talked to a commercial helicopter pilot yesterday and he said that the S-76 is intended to be flown by two pilots. He also says that it has an autopilot but that it disengages at about 55 kts because it assumes if you are going that slow you are preparing to land. So no creeping through the scud with that copter!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

We had several 76's at my last company. They were always flown with two pilots.

Also, the 2004 crash of a 76 that resulted in the NTSB recommending the use of TAWS and GPWS was one of ours. The aircraft flew controlled at high speed into the water.

 

[gumbyk]

I talked to a commercial helicopter pilot yesterday and he said that the S-76 is intended to be flown by two pilots. He also says that it has an autopilot but that it disengages at about 55 kts because it assumes if you are going that slow you are preparing to land. So no creeping through the scud with that copter!

It's certified for single-pilot operation when operated VFR as this one was (it had a special VFR clearance). The two pilot requirement is when operating under IFR (unless it's equipped appropriately, which includes a 4-axis autopilot among other things). Adler, I'm guessing that you were operating IFR?

 

[pbehn]

I have a feeling this will turn into an awkward case of celebrity, authority and wealth meets weather and an unfortunate pilot.

 

[Peter Gunn]

I have a feeling this will turn into an awkward case of celebrity, authority and wealth meets weather and an unfortunate pilot.

You might be right, the news reports said the L.A. PD choppers were grounded that morning due to weather conditions. *shrug* not the first time for a case like that, not the last either I'm sure.

 

[GrauGeist]

The overcast in the Southland can be tricky at best.

Even during summer, conditions can go from CAVU to pea-soup in less than an hour - add to that, the various hill ranges between the coast and the San Gabriel/San Bernardino mountains can get a pilot in trouble fast.

 

[pbehn]

The overcast in the Southland can be tricky at best.

Even during summer, conditions can go from CAVU to pea-soup in less than an hour - add to that, the various hill ranges between the coast and the San Gabriel/San Bernardino mountains can get a pilot in trouble fast.

There was a woman on UK radio from L.A. explaining that with the road traffic there, celebrities just HAVE to use helicopters to do their business. In view of the loss of life to be at a junior basketball game I don't think she realised how stupid she sounded. You never have to get in a helicopter and fly around some mountains in fog.

 

[Zipper730]

This is purely a speculation: I'm wondering if the pilot selected for this flight was selected on the fly. Some people when they want something won't take no for an answer, choosing to adopt the mindset that "If you can't do it, I'll find someone who will".

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Some info - gumbyk got it right, single pilot ops "IS" approved for the S-76B, what is not currently known is what avionics was in the aircraft and whether IFR operation was authorized. The S-76D is certificated for single pilot IFR operations.

Bryant didn't own the helicopter, it was owned by Island Express Holdings. Island Express is a 135 helicopter operation that does flights to Catalina Island and charters. Bryant may have been leasing this aircraft and it may have been operating under Part 135. If that was the case, authorized IFR operations would be indicated in the operator's FAA approved operation specifications, providing the aircraft was authorized for single pilot operations.

The NTSB will do their job - personally I believe this pilot (although instrument rated) got into IMC and was attempting to turn around and head back, possibly to KVNY.

 

[pbehn]

You might be right, the news reports said the L.A. PD choppers were grounded that morning due to weather conditions. *shrug* not the first time for a case like that, not the last either I'm sure.

I know the only connection is celebrity but it reminds me of the death of Princess Diana. In all the wild conspiracy theories the fact is she got in a car with a drunk driver and didn't even put a seatbelt on. It seems possible that you can be so famous, rich, powerful whatever that you believe the normal rules of life don't apply. They leave a lot of sad people asking WHY?